Corrupted
by MajorStupoid
Summary: Gender-bender AU- When you learn about conflict, whether it be something as large as full-scale war or something as small as two kids fighting over a play-toy, you always hear about what was won. Never talked about, though, is what was lost. Where what we lost is invisible to our meager reward. What I lost left me with the burden of my entire's country's fate and of my kin's blood.
1. Prologue 1

What did the bartender say when oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, sodium, and phosphorus walked into his bar...? OH SNaP!

...maybe it's a bit early to start with the jokes...maybe the beginning is a better place to start.

Alright so how do I want to start my story? A little tragedy never hurt anyone...that came out wrong.

To grossly oversimplify my life up to the point where it gets interesting; my name is Edward Elric...well actually it's Eden Elric, but I personally think Edward sounded more badass than a girly name like 'Eden' though given that I am a girl doesn't exactly help. I've got a brother named Alphonse Elric and a mother named Trisha Elric, or at least I did before she was killed in the riots.

Yeah, the riots; see, the people of this country actually believe that they can make a difference via protest...and don't expect the military to knock them onto their asses. I can respect the effort, but they're never going to get anywhere without actually doing something to make the government want to help. Hell, they could at least get a mascot, you know?

Anyway, back on track...actually, you wanna know the reason people don't straight-up revolt? The government has these people, these special soldiers called Alchemists who fight with some crazy voodoo stuff, at least that's how the public perceives them.

Okay, for real, back on track. So-

"How long are you gonna keep staring at the wall?" the blonde male across from me questioned. I lowered my eyes into a scowl.

"Eh? What do you want, Wes?" I questioned him.

"You might know if you'd been paying attention," he mocked me playfully, but that only deepened my scowl.

"Wes has a point, Brother. You _have_ been zoning out a lot lately," Alphonse agreed from next to me.

"Don't tell me you're taking his side on this!"

Alphonse shrugged. I growled as i plopped my head down onto the table. "I swear the only reason that I put up with you is because you're a damn good mechanic for the leg I lost two years ago..." I muttered.

"And I only put up with you because you're a decent paycheck," Wes patted my shoulder with his free hand, twirling a small screwdriver with his other.

"Can it, greasemonkey!" I snapped childishly. " _If you only knew what I do with my time..."_ I thought, rubbing my eyes and ridding them of sleep.

"And that's probably the reason," Wes accused. "When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?"

"What I do with my time is my business!" I claimed as I stood.

"Where're you going?" Alphonse wondered.

"To the library. I've got to research something."

With that I took my abrupt leave to go to exactly where I said I would; the town library, where I could study in peace. Study what you ask? Alchemy of course!

Yeah, yeah, I know I said it was crazy voodoo magic earlier, but it's actually a science. Granted, it a really cool part of science, but it's science nonetheless. I've already read through hundreds of books, including from the original Alchemist; Hohenheim of Light, the Philosopher of the East. His were the best because they just so insightful into the very essence of Alchemy.

Before I could read as much as I wanted to, footsteps approached my spot. I quickly closed the book and stuffed it into my pack, just before they came around. "Ed? There you are," Hughes popped in from around the corner. "Wes and Alphonse have been looking all over for you."

"You always were good at finding me, Officer Hughes," I teased him.

"Oh Ed, you know I gave up that title a long time ago," he reminded me.

"Why is that, Hughes?" I asked as I stood, falling into step as he walked out into the cold nightly air. "Why'd you leave?"

"Why? Well, a few reasons and not just because I'm a family man now. That Alchemy; it's...a corrupted art. Even if its 'laws' are true, why would you willing become such a dog? And even then, it's altering everything us humans stand for, promoting magic when us humans have always stood for progress and science."

"It can't be _that_ b-"

"It's heresy," Hughes concluded. It corrupts the mind and I chose not to stand for it...so I left."

I chose to remain silent on the subject from then on. "Well, I've got someplace to be, so-"

"Wes wants you home," Hughes stated. I grimaced. "And you know how he gets when you're late for dinner."

A shiver went down my spine as I held my head in fear. "The breadsticks and wrenches...I didn't ever thinks he'd find a way to use both as weapons...I was wrong!" I exclaimed.

"Then you'd better run on home before he catches you avoiding him again," Hughes offered, but I was already tearing off toward our home, only hearing the jolly man's laughter behind me.

I dashed toward the back door, hoping to sneak in before he noticed I was gone, but as I reached for the knob, the door flung open into my face, forcing me backwards, and a wrench went flying into my face. I lurched backward and rolled backwards onto my butt a few meters away, only seeing the devil's silhouette in the doorway. The devil tapped a breadstick in his palm. "Finally decided to join us, Eden?"

I grimaced and just let the man drag me by my long hair into the house. However, he didn't stop at the kitchen, where Al was, but dragged me further. "Help me…" I whimpered, but he only chuckled.

I was placed into a familiar chair with my Automail onto the table in front of it. The rest was done silently for a while as Wes patched up my leg.

Eventually the silence became too much. "Wes…" I started.

"How many times have I told you to be home before dark?"

"..."

"How many?"

"...A lot…" I admitted.

He put a hand on my shoulder. "You know that when night falls, the torches rise. The riots are dangerous; you of all people should know that. With what it did to my parents and your mother…" Wes shook his head. "A-anyway, please just promise me that you'll be home sooner. It griefs me enough to send Hughes out to find you when you get too absorbed in...whatever you do when you leave."

"I know…"

"Hey," he lifted my chin up so my gaze could meet his. "I know you don't like it, but you're fragile, just like every one of us; you should start acting like it."

I popped my hand onto his head. "Yeah, yeah...you worry too much about me."

"Al worries more," Wes claimed.

I nodded. "I'll try to get here quicker than I have lately."

"Then that's all I can ask," Wes said as he finished repairing my leg. "Alright, I made your favorite soup; you ready?"

"Extra milk?"

"Extra milk."


	2. Prologue 2

I really feel like making another bad Alchemy joke, but the good ones Argon...

I was giddy the next morning. Why? I can't say. That would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it? I burst up from the very little sleep I got the previous night and ran downstairs, guzzling a few glasses of water and grabbing a coffee, guzzling that as well. "What's got you so excited?" Wes wondered.

"Teacher is coming to town today!" I exclaimed.

"You mean the one that beat you up as a kid?" Al wondered as well as he shuffled into the room, stifling a yawn.

"The one and only. But see I'm going to be safe today because I've got a surprise for her."

"Really? And what's that? Some stupid way to try and beat her, fail, and then break my precious leg again?" Wes guessed.

"She'll see, and screw you by the way!" I called back to them as I raced out the door, grabbing my bag with the Alchemy books. I sprinted toward the train station, checking my watch as I did. Five minutes is when the train would arrive. However...I'd forgotten exactly who I was dealing with.

Almost immediately as she got off the train was my ass introduced to the ground. "Well, if it isn't my stupid pupil," Teacher cracked her knuckles. I leapt to my feet and ducked under a jab at her.

I had gotten used to these tussles with Teacher since she began training me. They'd become commonplace in my life. I sidestepped around her next kick and then brought my fist up, seeing an opening. However it was a false gesture, as Teacher grabbed my fist and threw me over her head, and tossing me to the ground behind her.

I groaned as I sat up. "Sloppy," she stated as her husband picked me up and brushed the dirt off of my hoodie. I looked down at the ground for her to insult me further. "But you're improving," she concluded raising my head up to look at her, feeling around my face. "Perhaps you would have improved even further had you been taking care of yourself. Tell me, are you tired right now?"

"I'm fine, Teacher."

She nodded, accepting the answer and just absolving to find the truth on her own, but before I knew it, she slung my own backpack over her shoulder. "Alright, let's get going," she began walking.

W-wait, how'd you-"

"Are you coming or not?"

"Yes ma'am!" I cried as I followed her and her husband back to our home. When we arrived Wes and Alphonse had their greetings while I grabbed the paper before Teacher and I retreated to my private study. A place where I could just go and think and just be alone.

"Eden, why did you want me down here so suddenly?" Teacher finally questioned.

I ignored her as I filtered back from the crosswords that Al loved and back to the front page, where I found exactly what I was looking for. "Aha!" I handed the paper to her to show her the front page, which had incredible news.

"State fort raid successful, Alchemical threat?" she read aloud, confused. "Ed, you don't mean…"

"I thought they could've used a taste of their own medicine," I said proudly before Teacher wracked the back of my head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Idiot! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Teacher yelled.

"I knew what I was doing!"

"You got lucky!" she retorted.

"But…"

"Ed, listen to me; the Amestrian Government and Military are things that you _can't_ stand up to; Alchemist or not," she told me. "Trust me."

"B-but...you hate them too! Just help me fight them!" I persisted. "They're war-dogs, taking from the weak and defenseless, and pillaging entire cities of resources to survive!"

That doesn't matter, Eden! You _cannot_ win this battle."

I clenched my fist. "But I can. I know I can," I claimed, my eyes fierce with determination.

Teacher let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head. "I always knew you skull was made of soundproof metal, but if you can't even hear this."

"I can hear you just fine."

"And yet you choose not to listen," she retorted. "Ed, you need to stop this, or…" she bit her lip. "Or this will be the last time we speak to each other."

"W-what? You can't do that!" Teacher didn't say anymore, just stood and left the room, throwing out the paper on her way. I was shaking, half in anger and half in anxiety. "Fine! I don't need you! I've _never_ needed you or anyone else!"

She obviously wasn't listening, as I saw that her and Mr. Curtis were leaving the house to the station.

That whole day, I was researching potential targets, eventually finding one. The night after, I struck again, this time being a bit more reckless, partly out of spite and partly out of the 'I'm angry because shut up' factor.

Other than that it went exactly like the previous raid; quick and clean. Once finished I returned to my room via my window and hopped into my bed, falling into a restless sleep.

The next morning, I found myself immediately on edge, for no particular reason too. It was just how I felt, and it turns out that I had a good reason. I expected the smell of breakfast to calm my nerves away, but the scent was bland and tasteless and the house was too quiet to have two other people milling about. I shuffled out of bed and crept down to the kitchen, feeling anxious because of the quiet that was never around.

Instead of Wes and Alphonse, I saw Hughes sitting at the table, calling flipping through a book. I stood in the doorway, confused, and he noticed my presence.

"You know, I really hope this isn't what I find in Elisia's backpack when she's your age," Hughes held up the book, only two words being important: Van Hohenheim, it was a book on Alchemy.

I tried to act casual. "Where'd you find that? I thought you hated-"

"This was up in your room when you went of on one of your nightly sprees through town," Hughes stated, still calm, a rare sight for him. "Ed…"

My heart rate started to pick up.

"I'm not gonna turn you in, Ed," he said, making sure I heard it quite clearly.

"Then why do you care if I'm reading some stupid Alchemy books?"

He gave a soft smile, remembering earlier years. "You used to be so pretty, Eden, but now...you look so...twisted," he stood and walked over to me, running his hand through my hair. "Knotty hair," he felt my shoulder. "Tense shoulders," and he touched the bags under my eyes. "And of course the ever-noticeable bags," he put his hand on my cheek and kept his gaze level with mine. "Ed, please come back. This isn't you."

I swatted his hand away, stepping back. "Shut up."

"Eden…"

"Shut up!" I snapped, gritting my teeth and balling my hands into fists. "You don't have any right to tell me how to live my life!" I ran past him.

"Ed, wait!"

It was too late. I burst through the front door, ready to run to who knows where, but I was immediately met with a line of soldiers.

"Ed!" Alphonse and Wes called from the side, being blocked off from me by two soldiers.

I looked around, trying to find an avenue for escape, but there just wasn't one. Hughes walked out after me. "I thought...you didn't tell anyone," I said, my voice shaking.

"They...owed me a favor. I tried to talk with you first," he said, his voice lined with shame and a hint of regret. "I'm sorry Eden, but this is for your own good."

"Well, Fullmetal, it seems we've finally caught you," a man stepped out of the line of soldiers.

"Who the _hell_ are you?!" I yelled, not in the mood for games.

"Brigadier General Grand, the Iron-Blood Alchemist," he introduced himself. "Go ahead, try and out-transmute me," he slammed his fists together, protected by gauntlets with Transmutation Circles inscribed on them, forming a massive Transmutation circle in front of him. He lowered his fists to the ground and out popped a multitude of weapons from the trace metal in the dirt.

I dropped to my knees, seeing no way out of the situation. I might be able to discretely draw a small transmutation circle, but what would really help? I couldn't make a wall big enough to cover myself with that small of a transmutation circle.

"Do you have anything to say before you are executed?" Grand wondered. I couldn't speak, only having enough energy to take shallow breaths as my body shook uncontrollably. "Very well; ready rifles," he gave the order, and the soldiers aimed.

"No wait! Sister!" Alphonse called.

"Ed!" Wes reached out for me, but Alphonse didn't stop there. He managed to push through the soldiers and run to me. Grand noticed this.

"Hold you-" it was too late. The bullets were fired, and Alphonse tried to protect me. It was all a blur after that. The panic, the screams of agony...his final breath used saying "Come back to us," and then it was over.

Alphonse Elric was dead.

 **Author's Note:**

 **If I'm going to be completely honest I could end it right here because it highlights everything that I Was trying to say with this story and that it that absolutely power, in this case Alchemy, corrupts absolutely. Though I won't end it here because it would be the biggest middle-finger to any loyal Fullmetal Alchemist fan, so yeah...**

 **See ya next time!**


	3. Prologue 3

"Alphonse! No!" I draped my body over his to prevent any bullets from harming him any further, but even I wasn't stupid enough to not know that it was too late. His chest was static, no rise or fall to it, and his eyes blank, slowly losing their color. Tears streamed from my eyes as I came to the realization that my last true blood-relative was dead, gone in a flash; the flash of a gun that is.

"Damn it! You idiots!" Grand yelled at the soldiers, though it appeared to be more out of frustration than out of anger. "Fine, let's try this again!"

I raised my gaze up to the State Alchemist, my eyes sending him the most rage-induced glare I've ever sent, though I knew in my heart that it wasn't going to change anything. Though suddenly, I heard grunt from the far side of the wall of soldiers.

Grand could only watch for a split second before he was socked in the face, his transmuted weapons turning back to dust, and Wes was grabbed from the wall. Before I knew it, I too was lifted off of the ground but a strong arm and whisked off to who knows where, the sounds of gunshots growing ever more distant.

I managed to look up in my drunken stupor. "Teacher…" I mumbled as I saw her running ahead of me. That meant that Sig Curtis was carrying Wes and I.

I don't remember much else about that day. All I remember was that night, because it marked the most important turning point in my life. Bigger than losing my leg, bigger than losing my mother. This marked the start of my own journey.

Teacher had come back to get us after having heard a rumor of the soldiers, obviously having gotten there just in time to grab us and go, disguised of course, and leaving the scene before they could be questioned or noticed by citizens.

The four of us had camped out in the woods several miles out of town, near the border to the Eastern Desert; no man's land as our town used to call it. No one went near the desert, and even fewer came near this area simply because it was so close to the desert.

I'd waited for everyone to go to sleep before I crept out of the campsite, stumbling in a half-dead state back to a town. It wasn't my town, but it was a town that had a store that I could steal from.

I stole everything I needed, slowly but surely checking them off the mental list I'd created, my mind focused on only one thing. I could lose everything I ever cared about, but I'd be damned if I'd lose Alphonse too.

I returned to near the campsite. If things went south, I'd need their help. Sadly, that also came with a side-effect.

I was setting up my transmutation circle, with the ingredients lying in the middle, ready to be molded into a human shape. Once the circle was finished, I approached the center with a knife, raising it to the thumb of my right hand. "I stopped you once," I heard from the darkness.

I whipped my head toward them. "Teacher…"

"I'm not going to stop you again. If you're so stubborn as to try a taboo…to try Human Transmutation...then I won't stop you," she stated.

I only nodded before running the knife along my thumb, letting my blood drip onto the pile of ingredients.

"You know it's not going to work."

"I have to try."

"But you know," she clarified. "You don't have to throw you life away like this."

"...When this is over, if I'm still around...you should stay away from me. Wes too, though I'll probably need his Automail, so fat chance of staying away from him."

"Eden…"

"...You're right...I don't _have_ to do this," I then looked her in the eye. "But it's all I _can_ do."

I closed my fist, the cut slowly clotting as I moved to the edge of the circle, getting onto my knees. I took a deep breath as I pressed my hands to it.

"Alphonse...please come back…" I whispered, though almost immediately as the circle started to glow, the image of Alphonse's last words came to my mind.

Everything started circulating in a sickly beauty of golden light...but slowly it changed, corroding into a hellish purple until it engulfed my vision. I manage to find the center of the circle, seeing the ingredients slowly taking shape.

But then everything disappeared and reappeared as nothing but a white void. I looked around, soon seeing, upon turning around completely, a gate of stone, with a vast mural of Alchemical symbols and symbols that I'd never seen before. I went up to it and pressed my hand to it.

"It's quite something, isn't it, Alchemist Eden Elric?" a voice behind me startled me, making me whirl around, only to see nothing but white. Actually, that's a lie, I saw something, but all it was was a black outline forming a relatively humanoid shape.

"What are you?"

"That _is_ the question, isn't it? I'm not quite sure, Alchemist; what am I?"

"Are you...God?"

"Perhaps I am to you, but I more so think of myself as something a bit more specific than any god could be. Though if you practice Alchemy religiously, which I know you do, then you could consider me Alchemy's deity and you may call me…" a sick grin spread across the figure's face. "Truth."

"Where...where's Alphonse?" I wondered hesitantly.

"He could be anywhere, though if you'd have asked me, I'd say that he would be behind that door."

I turned back toward the gate.

"All it will take is one little push, and everything with become clear, Eden Elric," I put my hand once again upon the door, taking it in, trying to memorize its markings. "Well, Alchemist? What are you going to do?"

I turned back toward it, now filled with determination. "I'm going to find my brother," I stated before pushing the gate open, seeing a black void. "What…?"

Before I could react, a thousand set of eyes opened themselves in the void and black appendages reached toward me. I couldn't fight them as I was pulled into the gate. It terrified me, as I had no control over what was happening, and though I wanted so badly to close my eyes, the hands that pulled me in her holding my eyes open.

Different scenes flashed in my vision and mind simultaneously, and even more whizzed past faster than I could process them, though they still entered my memory nonetheless. It was as if the past, present, and future were all occurring at the same time and I was its lone audience member. I could see everything; I could hear everything, taste everything, and feel everything though my own mind forced me to feel only one thing; fear. Everything then gave way to one image, my brother smiling at me and reaching toward me. He looked so happy, and he was alive and well. I could almost reach him, just a little more, when he spoke. "Come back to us."

And then...everything stopped. I was back outside the gate, facing away from it, reaching forward. "Wait…" I turned back toward the gate. "Alphonse is…" I turned back toward Truth.

"I'm sure that you know the answer, Alchemist."

"He's...inside the gate. I need to go back in."

"Oh no, that's won't be necessary," Truth stated, having a light chuckle to its voice.

"What did you say?"

"I said that it won't be necessary for that. You know all that you need to know and I don't need to show you anymore, especially for the piddly sacrifice you gave me to see what you have," it raised an arm.

"What are you talking…?" suddenly, human flesh began to appear on the white form, an arm, its right arm, as a massive pain flared up in my mine, and when I went to hold it, I only felt air. I looked down for only a moment, seeing my arm gone, before I was snapped back into the real world. I held my arm, still gone and now oozing blood, and cried out in pain, quickly getting Izumi's help. I writhed on the ground, struggling to stay conscious.

I managed to look at the center of the transmutation circle. "Alphonse…" I choked out as the dust cleared, revealing a mass of flesh and bone, looking deformed and malnourished as best and completely nonhuman at second-best.

I nearly hurled at the sight, seeing it drool and ooze pus and blood, not looking fit enough to live for more than a few more seconds. It spoke four words; words that were burned into my mind throughout the madness that followed that night, hell through the rest of my left. "Come back to us…" it choked out, it's voice not Alphonse's, but instead a mangled gurgle, only serving to excrete more drool before it went silent, dead.

The rest of the night was a blur. I don't remember how we did it or where we went, but the next thing I remember was that we were in a town, my limbs were restrained, and I had a gag in my mouth to keep me from biting my own tongue off as Wes gave me an Automail arm, telling me that "everything would be okay," as he did.

After that, from that night, I remember being left alone, the smell of fresh blood lingering slightly in the room where I refused to sleep.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Gotta say; one of the easiest thing I've written in a while; everything just came so naturally with this part because it's essentially a repeat of what happened in the show but with a small tweak here or there, but whatever; it had to be written, right? Don't forget to review!**


	4. 1 Lior

Third Person POV

Three years later…

Eden walked cautiously into the desert village, wary of the foreigners that were eyeing her suspiciously as she must have been doing for them as well. With every step Eden took she felt more and more out of place.

To keep herself from possibly getting lynched by these people, she discreetly made a beeline for the most important looking building. Immediately as she opened the door, she got someone's face in her face. "Hello there," the man greeted, though Eden wouldn't exactly call it a normal greeting. The man was hanging from a beam above the door, so he was upside down.

Eden leapt back, startled. "Who the hell are you?" she questioned.

"I believe that's my line, stranger," the man did a little flip to land on his feet and offered his hand in greeting. "But since you're such an eager girl, my name is Ling Yao."

Cautiously, she took his hand, soon realizing that he was the person she was looking for. "Eden Elric. The Fullmetal Alchemist," she claimed. Ling nodded.

"I've heard you're quite the killer."

"Word spreads this far east?"

"You'd be surprised how easily we get information from tourists around here. Actually, we've been getting quite a few given the sorry state your that your country is in at the moment. Speaking of, what brings you to the outskirts of Xing?"

"I happen to be looking for you, Ling Yao, 12th son of the Emperor and heir of the Yao clan."

"I see you've done your homework, Fullmetal."

"Yeah, I came to ask for your help."

"Oh?" Ling started circling Eden. "And what would a famous murderer like you want my help for? And should I help you, how do I know you aren't going to stab me in the back when you're done?" he chided, more so to play a sick game than to actually question her.

"I have only a few allies in my...crusade. I could use one more; especially one with your skill."

"Flattery has never worked in Xing," Ling stated, his eyes opening slightly before closing again, his carefree grin returning. "But it was a nice try."

Eden sighed, and looked up. "In my hands the strength; in my heart the courage; in my soul the drive."

"Oh? And what's that?" Ling questioned. Eden looked at him only slightly.

"Family heirloom," she then looked at him fully. "At least it's the closest I've got to one."

"Is that supposed to woo me over to your side, Fullmetal?"

"That's not my only reason. I understand you're looking into a certain topic as well."

"Oh?"

"The Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate catalyst that bypasses any and all laws pertaining to transmutation of matter, including...death."

Ling stopped in front of her, putting his head down to think. "Now that's interesting. You're starting to speak my language, Fullmetal. Very well, as it is an Emperor's duty to serve his people, I'll assist you in acquiring the Philosopher's Stone," Ling stated, forcefully shaking Eden's hand once again to shake on the deal.

"Right...let's head back right away. I want to get this desert trip over and done with. Oh yeah, and just call me Ed."

And so the two unlikely partners travelled across the desert back to Amestris, the border crossing proving to be little trouble as there was already an underground railroad or sorts to use at their whim.

Still, upon crossing back into Amestris, Eden took them slightly off course, to the desert town of Lior. Once a thriving desert paradise turned warzone by the opposing forces of military brutalizers and religious berserkers. Even still, that time had since passed. Now they might as well have been travelling to a ghost town. Lior housed only a few people now, only one of which was important.

Eden knocked on the door of the abandoned church. "Hey, it's Ed," she claimed to tue closed entryway, hearing a little bit of shuffling behind the door before it opened to a jubilant teenager flying into a hug onto Eden.

"Ed!" she cried. "You said two weeks, not two months!" she chastised her.

Eden chuckled. "It's good to see you too, Rose. How've things been? Anything questionable?"

"Quiet as a flute," she confirmed. "So, you mind introducing me to your friend?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, Rose, this is-"

"Ling Yao," the man answered before he bowed. "It's a pleasure."

Rose nodded in agreement. "What'd Ed tell you that you'd ?" she wondered.

"Consider it an exchange of sorts."

"I'm gonna head out," Eden stated, pointing to the open door.

"What? Bored of me already, Fullmetal?" Ling joked, his grin ever present.

"Relax, squinty. I'm just going to get some air," she clarified to them before leaving. Rose stared off towards her, thinking.

"...nope," Ling said finally.

"What?"

Ling shrugged and chuckled. "I can't read her at all. I've been trying to figure out why we stopped here of all places."

"It's probably because of her history with this place. A lot of revelations happened in this little town for Eden Elric; some good," Roze moved to pull her dress down to further cover her legs, or actually what lay in between them. "And some very bad...for both of us…"

"What happened here?" Ling questioned, but Rose shook her head.

"Oh no, it's not my story to tell. "If you want to know, you should ask her yourself."

xxXXxx

Eden walked through the wasteland of a town, past the ruined buildings, the small shop where she first met Rose…

 _Eden yawned as she sipped her newly bought drink, sharing a pleasant day_ _with a total stranger who happened to own this joint. "Yeah, since Father Cornello came by, everything's been going pretty well," the shopkeep kept talking and talking and talking about this religious nutjob._

 _She put my hands over her ears. "Ugh, I came to this joint for some peace and quiet if you don't mind," She complained. "And if you're to talk, then talk about something important why don't ya?"_

" _Well, it seems like someone's spiritually troubled there, a bystander said, putting his hand on Eden's shoulder._

" _Yeah, you should go and see Father Cornello. He can heal the soul and forgive all of your sins."_

 _"How I wish…" Eden spat as she tensed her Automail arm, still bitter about the incident. She stood. "This is a crowd one too big. I'll gladly take the plunge."_

 _"I for one think it's wonderful that you're choosing your own path," another girl's voice pierced through the crowd. When Eden looked, she saw a native girl with pink bangs framing her face._

 _"Hey Rose!" the shopkeeper greeted her with a smile that was returned. "Could you do me a favor and show this young woman to tur church?"_

 _"Hey, pops, I said that I don't care!"_

 _"Alright then, come on," this Rose girl grabbed Eden's arm and began dragging her along with her. Eventually, Eden gave up trying to fight back, and she didn't exactly want to hurt this girl's feelings. "You know, it's just an escape for us," she said finally._

 _"What is?" Eden questioned._

 _"Our Letoism. It's not real, and most of us know that…" she said sadly as she looked back at tue blond. "But for now, it's all we can believe in, you know?"_

 _Eden nodded, understanding completely. "I know pops said that you were making out well enough for yourselves, but the people are divided, aren't they?" Rose nodded, confirming Eden's suspicions. "Between the military this Cornello, right?"_

 _Rose nodded again. "I...don't know which side is right, but for now the church is the safest place to be, especially for an illegal Alchemist like you," Rose said, an edge to her voice. Eden stopped walking and tensed, ready for an ambush of some kind._

 _"How do you know that?"_

 _"Because...I'm an Alchemist too. I know a rebound when I see one."_

 _Slowly but surely, Eden eased her muscles. "So...I'm not the only traitor to the government."_

 _"Oh no. I've no intention of fighting the whole of Amestris," Rose smiled, perhaps thinking of a happier time. "I just want...to bring back my beloved."_

 _Eden's eyes widened. "You what?"_

 _"Alchemy can do anything with the right materials, right? I thought...maybe…"_

 _"You should quit while you're ahead," Eden said harshly._

 _"What? You're an Alchemist too, right? Haven't you ever thought of what it would be like if we could bring back the dead?"_

 _"I have, Rose!" Eden snapped. "Believe me, I have! And…just...it's a bad idea."_

 _"What do you know? I've dumped hundreds of hours into the theory; what have you done?"_

 _Eden glared at her. "I've followed through with it."_

xxXXxx

"Ed!" Ling's voice brought Eden out of her thoughts. "Jeez, how many times does a man call your name before you notice him?"

Eden chuckled, her eyes showing a hint of melancholy. "Rose is an Alchemist too, you know?" she ignored his statement.

"Really?"

"Yeah; she and I have a lot in common, for better or for worse."

"And is that why we came here?" Ling questioned, now suspicious.

Eden shook her head. "No. Here, come on."

xxXXxx

 _Without saying another word, Eden followed Rose to the Church, where she was offered a room without penchant. As soon as she was alone, she took a deep breath and unpacked everything she would need, mainly a spare chalk stick for transmutation circles and a hood to conceal herself in a crowd._

 _With a sigh, Eden pulled her hair back into a ponytail and then grabbed her smaller pack which she would bring with her on her raid._

 _She then opened the window and climbed out onto the roof, soon finding the spotlighted and highlighted building that marked the military oppressor's headquarters, the General in charge? Colonel Mustang, famous for his work in the Ishvalan Conflict a year or two back._

 _Eden quietly crept across the rooftops, making her way to the top of the military base, where guards were stationed. She took action as needed, hanging below the guards before leaping up and knocking them unconscious until she found an entrance._

 _From there, everything was relatively simple, a transmutation here, a stolen weapon there, until Eden came to the Colonel's office. The light was on, which meant that he hadn't left yet and he could run and intake him out before he has the chance to pull out his gun._

 _All in one movement, Eden kneed through the door and was about to charge forward, expecting a desk to vault over to get to the Colonel, but she didn't even make it that far. Instead, she was met with the barrel of about five or six guns wielded by both five soldiers and also a woman, with brilliant golden blond hair and piercing amber eyes; truly a woman of war._

 _Discreetly, Eden took a step back, ready to run. "I wouldn't move if I were you," the woman stated, raising her gun, twirling it a bit and then putting it back in her holster. "Or you might not live to regret it."_

" _Where's Mustang?" Eden questioned._

" _He's here; right in front of you."_

" _You're…"_

" _Catching on I see; yes, I am Colonel Mustang, or rather Colonel Hawkeye. It's a pleasure, Fullmetal," a satisfied smirk was plastered onto the officer's face. Hawkeye...why did the name sound so familiar to Eden?_

" _An alias…" Eden muttered. "You tricked me…"_

" _Correct again. You know, you're not as sly as you think you are; I knew you were here and coming for me the moment the rooftop guards didn't report in."_

 _Eden closed her eyes, waiting for the order to fire, not expecting her Teacher to save her again, but that order never came. "Aren't you going to kill me?"_

" _Why would I when I can use you to my advantage instead?" Hawkeye forced eden to look her in the eye. "I'm going to give you two options, girl; you can either do me a favor in return for your life, or you can serve as bait for another Alchemist to do so. Either way," she let go of Eden. "You'll serve my purposes," Realizing that she had absolutely no choice in the matter, Eden dropped to her knees. "I'll give you time to think it over. Take her to the dungeon."_

 _Soon, Eden's wrists were forced into cuffs behind her back, her materials confiscated, and thrown into a cell with nothing but her own thoughts. However, even those were soon broken as she received an early visit. "I thought I'd get time to think," Eden spat._

" _No, we're out of the limelight now," she admitted, seeming a bit more relaxed than when in front of her soldiers. "I want you to know."_

" _Know what? How about what the favor is?"_

" _I want you, as an Alchemist, to bring back someone from the dead," Hawkeye stated. A looming sense of dread appeared in Eden's chest, already feeling the recent memories of Alphonse coming back up. "Surely it's possible; a little carbon, water…"_

" _You have no idea what you're talking about!" Eden snapped._

 _Hawkeye never wavered. "Then enlighten me."_

 _Frustrated, Eden had to take a split second to clear her head. "...There has never been a successful case of Human Transmutation. Any attempts to do so have resulted in a massive Alchemical Rebound which mortally disfigured or even killed the Alchemist. Science has all we need save for one thing; one thing that can never be weighed against a material substance."_

" _The human soul?"_

" _Presumably."_

" _And...how is it that you know of this…? Ah, you've done it, haven't you?"_

" _Shut up."_

" _Tell me, who was it that you wanted back so dearest to you?"_

" _I could say the same to you, Hawkeye," Eden retorted. "Who's the oney you want back? That died before their time?"_

 _Hawkeye turned to shield her face. "He was...a colleague."_

" _If I'm going to do it, then I'll need more than that."_

" _Then you'll cooperate?" Hawkeye questioned._

" _Mmm...possibly."_

 _Hawkeye hesitated before taking a deep breath. "He was...an Alchemist like you. He...studied Flame Alchemy and eventually it just...drove him mad...he grew this mad lust for power and rank and he just...perished, by his own Alchemy her was burned to death…"_

" _Mustang…"_

" _What?"_

" _He's the one who died; that's where the alias comes from, so you have something to remember him by."_

" _If you want to make assumptions then fine, but whatever the case, are you in or out?"_

 _Eden didn't have to think twice. "I'd rather go to hell and back four times over than try and bring anyone back again," she concluded, to which, Hawkeye sighed and left the room, soon forcing in another man in cuffs. "Who the hell are you?"_

" _I apologize for dragging you into this, Fullmetal," the older man said tiredly. "But it seems that she outsmarted both of us; caught us with the famous Hawk's Eye of Ishval."_

" _I asked who you are."_

 _The old man then came into the light. "My name is Dr. Marcoh; the Crystal Alchemist."_

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 ** _So I'm extremely tired when posting this because reasons...anyway, first of a two-parter!_**

 ** _The second one should be released in a around two days if all goes well, or maybe even tomorrow...or...today, since it's after midnight. Anyway, thanks for reading!_**

 ** _Oh yeah! and don't forget to review!_**


	5. 2 Mustang

Eden led Ling through Lior, through the unwanted parts; the part of town you never want to be seen in. Why? Bodies, everywhere, dried blood stained the streets, bomb shadows on every building left standing. "Ed? What is this place?" Ling questioned.

"This town was a warzone, Ling. Between the military and townspeople. It started as just riots, like everywhere else. Then this nutjob priest came in and brainwashed the town into fighting a full out war."

"And this was the result, Ling concluded. "But you still haven't told me why."

"Because we haven't gotten to this part of the tour yet," Eden tried to make a joke.

"This isn't a game, Ed; these are people's lives."

"I know, Ling!" Eden snapped. "...Trust me, I know more than anyone the value of a human life. Just be patient, and I'll explain myself."

Surprised by the outburst but satisfied with her statement, Ling nodded and followed Ed through town.

xxXXxx

 _"Marcoh? You're…" Eden tried to make sense of this. "You're on their side, aren't you? Why are you locked up?"_

 _Marcoh chuckled. "I suppose it was for the same reason as you, I believe what this country is doing to its people is inhumane."_

 _"So...you'll help me?"_

 _"No, oh no, my time in the spotlight has passed. I'm not sure it ever actually came, but whatever the case, the most I can do for you now is to keep you alive," Marcoh pointed to Eden's Automail arm. "It must've been quite a night."_

 _"Yeah, it was...an experience."_

 _"Ha!" Marcoh let out a laugh before containing himself; the sheer act forcing a scowl onto Eden's face. "I apologize, Fullmetal. Though judging by your frowning face, I hit the nail on the head. You attempted Human Transmutation, didn't you?"_

 _"Yeah, it was...to bring my brother back to life. He'd given his life to save mine."_

 _"Well, I'm sorry for your loss and I know that this is no recompense but I do have something to show you. It's an unknown truth that all Alchemy revolves around tapping into the Gate; a limitless well of Alchemical power drawn from via transmutation circles."_

 _"You mean the gate that I was dragged into?"_

 _"Precisely. Given that...people like us, have come into a close contact with the gate gives us a distinct advantage; our exposure has linked us to it in a way unlike any other Alchemist. What is a key part of an form of Alchemy?"_

 _"A transmutation circle," Eden answered immediately._

 _"Correct, and what's the key defining feature of a circle?"_

 _"It...never ends...so…"_

 _"So, you need only create a flow of energy using your own body as the transmutation circle, watch."_

 _Marcoh clapped his hands and put his hands to the cuffs binding my own, and it a matter of milliseconds they were shattered as if by transmutation. Eden stared wide-eyed._

" _Try it," Eden slowly clapped her hands, holding them together with her fingers interlacing. "Now try and imagine what you felt in the Gate."_

 _Eden never wanted those memories to resurface. "I felt…fear...and a...feeling of knowing everything."_

" _That, to my knowledge, is your soul attempting to cope with the stimuli being experienced by your mind. This...indomitable will is all you need to tap into in order to perform transmutation without a circle. Imagine the energy circulating in your body, from your sternum, to your head, to your arms, hands, and back into your sternum. Feel it...and transmute."_

 _Eden released her hands and pressed them to the ground, feeling a massive flow of energy release into the surface which she touched and as she raised her hands and near-blinding light erupted, though small, from the ground and out-popped a perfect replica, from Eden's memory, of the Gate. Eden smiled. "This...this is…"_

" _Liberating," Marcoh concluded before his tone shifted. "But I'm afraid that we don't have much time. As much as I would wish to mentor such a fine Alchemist, my time has come. I need to tell you something. You can't-"_

 _Before Marcoh could finish, Hawkeye and her soldiers burst in, taking both Eden and Marcoh through a separate room. Inside, a pile of ingredients was laying in the middle, a sight that brought back horrible memories for Eden._

" _Now, you'll bring Mustang back to life," a pistol was held up to Eden's temple. "Or this one dies right here."_

xxXXxx

Eden and Ling went to abandoned military base, once belonging to Hawkeye but now sits as if built and then left immediately. All files were burned, all soldiers withdrawn...well, all except one room was empty.

Eden stopped in front of a seeing dead-end. "Ed," Ling started. "Why did you bring me here?"

Eden didn't answer, just clapped her hands together and felt the familiar surge of energy before pressing her hands to the wall, removing them and seeing the wall recede to either side, revealing a door behind it. Eden then pushed onto the door and opened it, letting Ling step inside the dark room.

Once inside, Ling once again questioned. "What are we doing here?"

Eden again didn't answer, turning on the lights which flickered slightly before fully illuminating, revealing a sight most foul. It was a circle. Etched into the ground in the form of small ruts which were now filled with dried blood, the circle showed the most recent theory of-

"A Human Transmutation Circle…" Ling muttered.

"You know what it is?" Eden questioned quietly, memories quickly rushing back to her.

"I've read the stories but I didn't think it was actually true. Is this where you-"

"No," Eden answered quickly. "But this is a sight of Human Transmutation."

"Was it successful?"

Eden turned away, still remembering Marcoh's bloodcurdling screams and the chaos of Hawkeye's soldiers trying to contain both him and the thing he created.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Why would you show me this then?"

"I just...need you to promise me something. We're essentially trying to defy the laws of Alchemy. We're trying to gain power unlike any other. I need you to promise me, should we attain this power, that you never try and bring someone back. I don't care if we find a Philosopher's Stone; some things need to be forgotten...including people…"  
"Ed...alright. I can agree to that. I promise."

"Thank you...and one more thing. If _I_ ever try and bring someone back again, I want you to kill me before I can."

xxXXxx

 _Eden was thrown back into the cell soon after the transmutation failed, but little did they know that she had a new trick up her sleeve. Soon after she broke her bonds, she clapped her hands together and shattered the bars to her cells, quickly knocking out the guards directly outside the room, stealing one of their guns._

 _I once again made her way toward Mustang, sorry, Hawkeye's office, and burst in pointing the gun towards her. Hawkeye's back was turned to Eden._

" _I'd thought you'd have fled," Hawkeye said stoically._

" _I have some unfinished business," Eden stated, cocking the small hand gun._

 _Slowly, Hawkeye turned around, her eyes showing all that they needed to. A tight frowned was imprinted on her lips and her eyes were pink, puffy, and slightly bloodshot. Eden wavered. "Then what are you waiting for? At least let me join him."_

" _I…"_

" _You've never shot someone before, have you?"_

 _Eden took one more look at her before throwing the gun away. "It's that kind of contraption that killed by brother. I'd be damned if I ended a life with it," I stated._

" _Then what will you do?" she questioned, walking toward me. As she drew closer, Eden saw clearly that she was fighting back more tears from falling._

" _...I'm going to leave. You have my condolences."_

 _That certainly threw Hawkeye for a loop. "You're leaving? Why?" she unhooked one of her guns and gave it to the younger girl. "Just do it! Pull the trigger and end it!"_

" _Except I won't be ending it!" Eden snapped, shoving it back to Hawkeye. "If I kill you then it'll just be another burden to live with! I've already killed and re-killed someone who didn't deserve to die and I won't do it again!"_

 _Then the tears fell, coming slowly at first, but then cascading down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees. Eden kneeled down beside her, raising her Automail arm and putting her hand on the woman's shoulder._

" _I'm going to make you live, because you're wiser now than you've ever been. You now carry the same burden that I do; you tried to play God too. It hurts, doesn't it? It stings, erodes your heart away until there's nothing left of you but a cold, dead, lifeless machine," Eden said with no hesitation before standing and walking over to the window. "If you ever need help coping, you can find me, but if not, then stay out of my way,_ Mustang _…" Eden lingered on the word to drive her point home before leaping out of the window and landing, breaking into a run away from the base._

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, thanks so much for reading and I apologize for taking like two months on this chapter. I'll try and get one out every week or so form now on, but I can't make any promises because I _do_ have other commitments to attend to, namely school and other projects (and video games); you know, the important stuff.**

 **anyway, if you're enjoying the little twists here and there, then go ahead and leave a review stating your thoughts, and if you're picking up on what I'm planning to do for my big twist, then go ahead and leave your hypotheses in a review too! Both would be greatly appreciated and, as always, I'll see you guy sin the next chapter!**


	6. 3 No Time For Feelings

The moment Eden and Ling returned, Eden retreated to her room. She stayed inside for a good few hours, trying to rid herself of the experiences that just resurfaced of her past, her eyes lowering into a scowl over the open window. When seeing a death, especially three, it starts to wear on your mind, you know? It felt like a...gap, a void in the heart where the memories were supposed to be formed with people who've moved on.

Not that she'd like to spend more time with Marcoh anyway, she wasn't even entirely sure if he was on her side, despite his actions. Then again, he did teach her the most useful tool in Alchemy since transmutation itself…gah!

Eden threw her hands up into the air, then dropping them to hang over on the outside of the window. "What do I care? It's not like I knew him, right?" she said to herself.

Except for the fact that she did. Every Alchemist has an innate understanding of other Alchemists because of that pre-established knowledge base. A deeper understanding of each other through science, a connection of the soul. Ironic that Alchemy, the manipulation of the _physical_ world, would cause such a connection, but whatever.

A knock came to Eden's door seemingly two minutes after she'd closed it, when in actuality, the sun was already going down. "Hey Ed, dinner's ready," Rose called into the room.

Sighing, Eden stood. "Alright, I'll be out in a minute," she said back as she grabbed the bottom of her travel shirt and slipped it off, grabbing a simple loose black tank top to put on along with sweatpants she'd brought along, yawning as she entered the kitchen.

She sat quietly at the table with her two eating partners and accepted the food graciously, with all three beginning to eat.

Most of the meal was in silence, and Eden had no doubt that it was because of her. She always knew she didn't have the most inviting presence in the world, so she decided to open a conversation that Ling might be interested in. "So, Rose, how goes your Alkahestry studies?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Fine, thank you for asking. Although, it's a bit halted at the moment because _someone_ forgot to bring back the books I requested when she left to trek across the desert," the younger girl teased.

"I was in a hurry, okay?" Eden defended herself.

"Yeah, I can tell that you're really rushed," Ling chuckled. "Maybe next time we'll grab three or four meals on the way back too."

"Shut it, squinty, or I'll beat you," she threatened, though it only served to make him laugh out loud.

"Oh! Speaking of beatings, Wes rang up and said he'd be here by tomorrow morning to check up on you before you head out, alright?"

"Who?" I feigned stupidity.

"Oh, be quiet," Rose ordered, a small smile forming on both of our faces. "Or I'll tell him you said it."

Eden suddenly became alarmed at the notion, forming her hands into a prayer towards Rose. "Please, one wrench to the head per day in plenty for me; don't tell!" she begged, causing a roar of laughter form her partners at the table.

Much of the dinner continued that way, until it was time for lights out. Rose offered Ling the couch for the night, and Eden retreated to her room, lying down and blowing the hair from her eyes. "Been a while, grease-monkey," she mumbled as she drifted off into sleep.

xxxXXXxxx

 _When Eden returned to the room so graciously provided for her, she buried her head into the pillow and wept silent tears, trying her damndest to erase that image; Marcoh's cries of agony and the moaning of the monster he created still ringing in her ears. Sure, she acted tough on the outside to not show weakness, but alone like this, with no one around to judge her, at least, she didn't think there was anyone._

" _Um, Eden?" a voice came from the doorway. The girl burst up, quickly changing her Automail into a katar, though she only saw Rose._

" _What are you doing here?" Eden demanded. "Get out! Now!" she yelled, causing the younger girl to jump and retreat. Eden stormed up to the door as she returned her Automail to normal and slammed it closed with all her strength before locking it tight. Soon, she retreated to her bed, sat on it, ran her hands through her hair and wiped the sweat and tears from her eyes and forehead, taking several deep breaths._

 _Her eyes were wide open, wide with the burden of agony she now carried in Marcoh's place; he'd cursed her to carry the memory...but there was nothing that could be done about it now. Eden stood shakily, slowly coming to terms with that fact as she exited her room, finding Rose at a dinner table, sitting quietly, her head low and her eyes dull; somber._

 _Eden cleared her throat, causing Rose to jump. "Rose, I…" she walked toward her and kneeled down. "I'm sorry for snapping," Eden apologized, putting her hand on the girl's head. "But...try knocking next time, okay?"_

" _Alright," Rose said quietly as Eden took her seat across from her. Eden examined the table and seeing the food was untouched. "I waited for you," she explained. "I thought it'd be the right thing to do," was all she said about it before she clasped her hands together in a prayer form, which Eden mimicked to respect her, Rose saying a quick prayer to her 'Leto' and both of them digging into the food in silence._

 _Later that night, after Eden had retreated to her room and, big shock, was unable to sleep, she found Rose sitting by the window in the kitchen, staring into the night with an Alchemy book open in her lap. "What are you doing up?" she asked as Eden entered the room, not breaking her gaze away from the moon._

" _Couldn't sleep," was all Eden said on it. "What about you?"_

" _Thinking about tomorrow."_

" _What's tomorrow?" Eden wondered._

 _Rose turned her gaze to Eden, a bit of a crazed look forming, but it looked more desperate than anything. "When I finally get to be with my beloved again."_

xxxXXXxxx

Eden woke the next day to a hand feeling her face. She lazily opened her eyes to see Wes feeling her forehead, cheek, and neck. Annoyed, as this wasn't the first time he'd done this, she swatted his hand away with her Automail. Startled for a moment, Wes grabbed the hand and examined it closer. "Buzz-off, greasemonkey; I'm not a morning person…" Eden mumbled, wrestling free of Wes' grasp and pulling the covers over her head. She heard a chuckle as he sat on the bed, patting her shoulder.

"You really are a child, Eden," Wes teased.

"Whatever."

"Did Rose tell you I was coming or have you just gotten used to it?" Wes wondered, referring to his check-up while I was sleeping.

"Unfortunately both," Eden answered. "It sickens me to my core to think what you did when I _wasn't_ awake, you pervert," Another chuckle emerged as Wes stood, confusing Eden as she sat up, only seeing him stooped over her bag and rummaging through her stuff. "Hey!" she burst up and gathered everything from his hands and stuffed them back in her bag. "Don't you know not to snoop?!" she demanded, though he seemed to ignore her.

"You know, you've got some pretty neat stuff in there," Wes smiled. "Dontcha think?"

"Uh, yeah," Eden said, surprised that he didn't make another comment at her expense.

Wes stood and walked back to the door. "Alright, well, we'll do the rest of your check up after you eat breakfast, bed-head," he teased as he exited the room and closed the door; and there it is…

Eden took a deep breath and plopped back down onto her bed, trying to regain her composure as she stared absentmindedly at the mirror against the wall. Well, she was absentminded until she noticed that her cheeks were red.

"Gah! No way!" Eden yelled as she rushed up to the mirror.

"Ed? What's wrong?" Rose called from outside.

"N-nothing! It's nothing!" Eden assured, once again returning to the matter at hand. " _Damn it! Why the hell am I blushing! I don't have time to get these kinds of feelings!"_ she thought angrily.

She slapped herself lightly a few times as she paced the room, finding that thinking about other things, mostly science related, helped to calm her nerves, soon finding it within herself to fix her hair and exit the room, after steeling herself for what was ahead.

Just like was planned, after breakfast, Wes got to work on her Automail, taking great care with it as always. Just after beginning his check-up, Wes sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if you take pleasure in ruining my precious creations…"

Eden turned away, annoyed. "It's my arm, so I can break it whenever I damn well feel like it," she stated, her cheeks turning rosy, finding his worrying surprisingly...cute...she nearly threw up just thinking it.

Suddenly, his hand gripped her chin and pulled it to look at him. "No, you can't."

"Says you…" she glared at him.

He only returned with a passive glance, although even then, he found it noticeable. "Uh, Eden...are you feeling okay?"

"What are you on about?"

"Well, you're blushing. Do you have a fever or something?"

Eden wrestled free and turned away. "Shit! You can _see_ that?!" she yelled.

"Uh…" he only gave her a confused stare. "What are you-" Suddenly, the door burst open, and Ling and Rose came clamoring in. "What are you two-"

"No time! Bad news!" Rose claimed.

"Yes!" Eden burst up. "Good; let's focus on _that_! What is it?"

The two led Eden to the window. "See for yourself, but let's just say it's bad news bears all around," Ling said.

"Bad news bears?" Eden wondered, chuckled a little.

Maybe it's a Xingese thing?" Rose commented.

Finally focusing on this 'bad news bears,' Eden saw the familiar, depressing blue of the Amestrian Military uniforms as they came marching into town by the hundreds, going around to every door and snooping inside them. "That's...bad news bears…"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Don't you love it when it takes forever for an author to get out their next chapter? No? Well, it was nothing but pleasure for me, as I could feel you squirm, itching for more...hehehe...**

 **Whatever, anyway, thank you _so_ much for reading this chapter of Corrupted. Honestly, these past two and the next one are really hard to write. Like, I know exactly what I want to write, but how I want to write it is where I can't seem to make the connection. It's the same problem I've been having with Living Legacy lately, but not only do I still have thirty chapters in reserve for that fic, but you also don't care.**

 **In any case, why don't you leave me a review? It would certainly give me a lot of motivation to write this damn thing, so what do you say?**

 **BTW, the scene where Wes checks Eden's Automail is from this picture; I take no credit:**

 **art/Genderbend-Edwin-397348011**

 **If the link isn't there, it's from viria13 on Deviatart**


	7. 4 Price to Pay

"What the hell is happening here?" Eden wondered, not entirely believing what her eyes were seeing. "Why is the Amestrian military back in Lior?" she questioned.

"Didn't you get rid of them nearly three years ago?" Rose wondered.

"You drove them out?" Wes asked. That's the closest thing you've come to a victory yet," he teased.

Eden tried her best to ignore it as she turned to her Xingese partner. "Ling, we've got to go. Whoever's sending these soldiers back here now is gonna pay big-time for undoing my work," she vowed, cracking her knuckles.

"Uh, Ed, I think you're taking this a bit too personally," Rose mentioned.

Eden stormed to the door. "Who cares? I'm just gonna go and kick their sorry asses back out of Lor. Ling, let's go," she ordered as she opened the doors, taking only a few steps out before she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What?" She demanded as she turned around, only to have Wes throw her over his shoulder. "H-Hey! P-Put me down!" She demanded, her cheeks once again getting rosy.

Eventually, the man obeyed her request, but not before taking several steps inside. "I'm sorry, you wanna run that by me again?" He questioned her. "What exactly are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna go out there, and-"

"Get yourself slaughtered," Wes reasoned. Eden's voice caught in her throat.

"Just...stop it…" Eden became extremely tuned to her knee caps as she looked at only them.

"Geez, ever since I got here, you've been acting like a total ditz," he flicked her on the forehead. "I'm not an idiot; if I try to stop you, you'll just sneak out. All I want is for you to show a little discretion."

"I gotta agree with the blonde here, Ed," Ling agreed. "I mean, I'm all for going out bomb blazing, but against any more than ten or so, I'd be dead in a minute. We're gonna need a plan."

"Take out their leader; a colonel or general maybe?"

"But where would they be?" Wes asked, not being familiar with this town.

"At the church," Eden answered, wiping the glaze from her eyes and finally reappearing in the conversation. "It's the most fortified building remaining in the city; strategic on all fronts, allows for plenty of escape routes, and isn't easy to invade without allowing holes or spreading troops too thin in trying to cover them. It's a night impregnable fortress under the right circumstances."

"And how do you know that?" Ling wondered.

"Because," she stood and looked him in the eye. "I've broken into it before."

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

 _Eden's heart was pounding as she was ducking and dodging not only the obstacles lining her path through alleys and across rooftops, but the primitive javelins, pitchforks, and other basic weaponry that was scrounged up by the angry townspeople. The night previous, when Rose had told her that she was going to bring back her fiancé, Kain, to the land of the living, Eden had_ tried _to talk her out of it. She_ tried _to show her her own scars over her attempt, but nothing would wane her, and she left soon after._

 _Not long after that, Eden was expelled from the church, and was being given dirty looks by the townspeople, who'd been told that she'd attempted to dethrone their 'precious' Father Cornello. How Rose didn't get the same treatment and why this 'Cornello' was allowing her to go through with this, Eden was sure to find out as, after seriously considering just abandoning the girl altogether, she charged toward the church to get Rose out of there before she makes the biggest mistake of her life._

 _Finally, after having made it back to the church, she found weapons trained on her from every window. After avoiding the initial volley of bullets, she peeked around the corner of the building that she was hiding behind, surveying the area. At first, she didn't see a viable option on getting in, but then she realized that she had acquired a new gift since her last break-in._

 _Eden clapped her hands together and pressed them against the wall next to her, only for the wall to protrude a pillar which propelled her into the opposite wall; her breasts being squeezed in the process. "Gah! Bad touch, bad touch!" She cried before managing to squirm out. "Okay, that could've gone better…"_

 _Eden tried again, clapping her hands together, and this time pressing them to the ground, which propelled her upwards fast enough to escape the metal carnage that would've awaited her, had she attempted a frontal assault._

 _After Eden made it to the roof, she quickly made her way inside the facility. She didn't stop for anything, just plowing through the guards that lay in her path with weapons she'd make from the wall as she went. Soon, though it seemed an eternity, Eden burst through the door to Cornello's office. By that point, Eden had acquired a pistol from one of the Letoists she'd pounded on the way here, and was pointing it at Cornello. "Tell me where Rose is!" She demanded immediately._

" _I see no reason," he said back to her. "Not to a nonbeliever such as yourself," he grinned a sly grin. "Of course, if you want to force the information out of me, you can always beat it out of me, or shoot it out of me, but then all the townspeople will see that you...you Alchemists are all beasts."_

" _Then what about Rose? She's an Alchemist too, and you're just letting her forfeit her life in attempting Human Transmutation!" Eden argued, cocking the gun. "Tell me where she is!"_

" _She's…" four or five more guards appeared in the open doorway. "Ground floor, second on the left," he said as the guards advanced on Eden, all at once. "Seize the filthy nonbeliever!"_

 _Eden just barely managed to squirm away from their grasps, and slip out into the hall, where she burst into a stairwell, seeing at least three more guards leaping up the steps. She ran towards them, kicked off the wall, and kicked the first one down, tripping up the others and allowing her to run over them. As she made it to the ground floor, she quickly found the room that Rose was located in. Where she smashed the doors open and quickly scanned her surroundings, she saw that the transmutation circle and the ingredients were already placed exactly how Eden's had been. Rose turned to Eden calmly, carrying a small powder in her hand; human ashes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks; tears of joy at finally having the opportunity to see her beloved again._

" _I can feel it, Eden. In the palm of my hand...I hold the key…" she muttered._

" _Rose, no!" Eden cried, reaching toward her, though by this point, the guards had caught up. Around three of them leapt on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Rose spread the ashes onto the rest of the ingredients, and went to the edge, pressing her hands against the circle, and watching it glow a brilliant golden color, encasing the room in a sickly yellow glow that Eden had come to view only in her nightmares._

 _Soon, like it always did, the golden brilliance turn to purple darkness, as the swirling power all coalesced into both the Alchemist and the product they were trying to make, as the price was paid. Rose's eyes rolled into the back of her head as she screamed, no doubt witnessing the inside of the gate at this point, before collapsing, blood exploding from between her legs as her toll was taken, and she collapsed onto the ground._

 _The creature that was created was just as grotesque as the last two that Eden had witnessed, but that turned out to be a blessing, as it scared off the guards, and even Cornello, who had followed._

 _Eden rushed over to Rose, quickly checking her heartbeat and breathing; both were as faint as a lost star, but they were there. Blood dripped from Rose's genital area, but Eden couldn't do anything about that until she got her back to someplace safe. After moving her out of the room, Eden found something that would burn and threw it at the beast while it was aflame before closing the door and letting the room burn until it couldn't burn anymore._

 _Eventually, Eden found a room suitable for the two of them, and proceeded to clean Rose up, allowing for as much comfort as possible for when she woke up._

 _When she did, no words were exchanged between the two, only a silent understanding. It would've been so easy for Eden to get mad at Rose for not listening, for being too arrogant in her Alchemy, as Eden had been herself, but...seeing Rose in such a horrible condition, Eden couldn't bring herself to turn her back on the younger girl._

 _After all, at least Eden could still have a child._

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

"And you're sure that you've done this before?" Ling questioned as Eden lifted the both of them through a sand pillar.

"Positive," Eden answered. "I went in through roof and-"

"Open fire!" the duo heard from down below as soldiers spotted us. "Go, go! They're going to the roof!"

Ling gave me a sidelong glance. "Man, the air is great…can't wait till the smell of our blood fills it."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's not that much different from last time," Eden insisted, the two hopping off and making their way inside, where a wall of soldiers faced them. They both ducked behind separate corners. "Just replace all of the bullets with spears and pitchforks."

"You must've had a helluvan adventure last time you were here, Fullmetal."

"You have no idea. So, any ideas?" She wondered.

"Just one seems appropriate," Ling ripped off his jacket, revealing a whole multitude of exotic weaponry. The most noticeable was the sword as his back, and then after that were the bombs strapped to his chest. He popped one out, pulled the pin, and threw it into the wall, breaking it up long enough for the two of them to make it past and down the stairs to Cornello's old office.

Once they'd arrived, and expected to find another wall of soldier, instead they found an empty room. "Surrender or die!" The Amestrian military persisted, with the two fugitive's response being to slam the door in their faces and barricade it. "Great, now what?" Ling questioned. Eden quickly surveyed her surroundings, and thought up a plan.

"This is gonna sound crazy," Eden never finished, as the soldiers burst in, prompting the two to make a wild leap out the window. Eden remained close enough to the wall into order to transmute a bit further down, making a part of it protrude to catch them at another window.

"Easy-peasy!" She exclaimed as they opened the thing, finding that they came to the facility's old armory. While it didn't have much, it _did_ have a pistol for Eden to use. However, the soldiers weren't very far behind them.

After they were faced with another wall, the two split up. Ling leapt down to the ground floor, while Eden opted to lead them down manually, easily using the stairwell's unique advantages to her own benefit.

About halfway down, during a moment of respite, she heard a strange sound coming from above her. "Is that...water?" She wondered, soon finding that the answer was 'yes', as thousands of gallons of water came barreling down the stairwell towards her. She tried to outrun it, but she was far too slow, and it soon carried her the rest of the way down. It was strange, as if the water was crystallizing as specific points to cut her, mostly on her still-human arm and legs.

Still, soon she reached the bottom, and the waterfall faded into mere puddles. Eden got onto her hands and knees, coughing up the water she'd swallowed, before a voice entered her ears. "So, Fullmetal," his tone was cold and calculating, almost like...no, it couldn't be. "I do believe our meeting is long overdue, after these long years of waiting," Eden stood and readied a blade onto her Automail as the man who'd been speaking came into her view. He wore a simple black coat with a dress shirt underneath, with the pants and boots matching military standards. "While I have no interest in you, dealing with another threat while also completing our mission is...an added bonus."

It took all Eden had not to run away; her eyes were too focused on the killing intent she was feeling. She knew that he would stop at nothing to see her corpse before him.

Ling wasn't faring any better. After he'd leapt down to the ground, catching himself with a banner on the way down, he burst into one of the side rooms to avoid clashing with any more soldiers. However, he didn't get his wish. As he entered, he saw a single man knelt down in the center of the room. The room itself looked charred, as if it had been burning. Thankfully, to Ling, it didn't look recent, though it _was_ widespread.

Ling snuck up behind the man and raised his sword, ready to strike the soldier down, but before he could, another arm gripped his. Ling half-expected to see Eden holding him back, but instead, he was another Amestrian soldier, except he was glowing. Glowing a hazy purplish color, and more were soon appearing. "Excuse me, but I think you're interrupting something," the knelt man said as Ling stepped back, soon finding himself surrounded by these ghostly figures. Ling held a grenade up, as if threatening them. "Good luck with that, strange, but don't expect it to work."

"Then what _should_ I expect? What is this sorcery?" Ling questioned.

"Nothing except the hundreds of souls that were lost during the riots that blew through here a few years ago," the man answered vaguely. "Now, just keep quiet, and I'll make it quick," the man raised his hand, signaling the undead souls to close in. Before they could attack, however, a massive torrent of water barreled into the room, pushing Ling, and Eden, as it turned out, to the opposite side of the room. The kneeling man frowned. "I was in the middle of an execution, Greed," the man claimed, as Greed, the man who'd confronted Eden, entered and shot another torrent of water at the two outsiders. The man made the water seemingly come out of nowhere, and to control it, he didn't even need a transmutation circle, or clap his hands; even Eden couldn't do that.

"Why wait, when watching them suffer is more fun?"

Suffer is right; the water that was shoving the two continually into the wall was cutting their skin left and right, on the cheek, the arms, legs, torso, forehead, palms, everywhere. Eventually, the onslaught ceased.

"What the hell are you people?!" Eden demanded. "And what's with that tattoo on your wrist?"

Greed held up the back of his right hand, revealing a strange marking; a snake eating its own tail. The kneeling man stood, and craned his neck, showing the side of it, where the same tattoo was located.

The two ignored them. Wrath turned to his partner. "Did you already set the charges in the military base, Lust?" He questioned.

"They're ready when you are," the monster confirmed. Wrath looked around at the room, seeing it soaked from floor to ceiling.

With a smirk and a chuckle, the room filled with steam. "Yes, there it is…" Lust murmured. "I can feel it; in the palm of my hand, I hold the key...to your oblivion!" Suddenly, there was a spark in the room, and it erupted into a violent explosion. Eden just barely had time to shield her and Ling form the blast before it went off, even damaging her Automail in the process, but after it had died down, Eden saw that those monsters hadn't even taken a scratch. "You're still alive?"

Eden ignored the question. "Where did you hear that?" She questioned the strange creature. "And why are you here?"

Suddenly, Greed and Lust both frowned, before there was a...blur. It was more of a streak of color, really, but there was definitely movement. Unfortunately, said movement was _way_ too fast for the naked eye to see. After that, the two were gone, and so was every other soldier that was once within the former church. Even when they exited, the Amestrian military presence was no more, as if it had never been there in the first place.

Confused, Eden and Ling returned to Rose and Wes, who were in the middle of dinner. "Oh, hey!" Wes greeted the two with his mouth full. He swallowed before continuing. "Good thing you guys made it back in one piece, and-" Wes' eyes Eden's Automail. "You inconsiderate little brat!" He chucked a wrench toward her head.

Eden hardly felt the impact, or even bother registering the sensation of blacking out; her mind was far too cluttered with new information, or rather, new questions that she doubted that she'd find an answer for soon. However, she did know one that; she _knew_ that strange tattoo that those two men held on their bodies. It was the Ouroborus, a forbidden Alchemical symbol which represented eternal life. Oftentimes, it appears in accordance to the Philosopher's Stone, which was a good sign for Ling's search, but even more than that, it was connected to...something. 'Something' is what Eden wanted an answer to, and perhaps it would lead her to the answers to the other 999 questions about what had transpired. To get the information she needed, she knew that only one person might have the books necessary to research the symbol.

It looked like she would be having another lesson with her Teacher.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Wow, it must be a blue moon, because I never normally upload two chapters this fast.**

 **The reason for this is because this baby right here was fresh off the press or...Google Doc...whatever.**

 **Anyway, why don't you leave a review to state your thoughts? You like the twists? The introduction of these 'mysterious' figures (seriously, who the hell is unsure after I named their tattoo?), or maybe because you just hated it with a burning, fiery passion? In any case, I'd love to hear it!**


	8. 5 Three Responsibilities

After getting their mild cuts healed via Rose's Alkahestry, it seemed the best option to pack up and move to a different location after Eden and Ling's encounter with the new military officers. The only logical place, Eden thought, would be Rush Valley. It was something of a safe haven for Eden. While she wasn't known around the town, Wes was, and he garnered protection to a fault so that no one would snitch their location.

"Yeah, so we're at the train station now," Eden clarified to her Teacher, who was on the other line.

"Alright, Ed, I can be there within a week or so," Izumi answered. "Be careful."

"Yeah, yeah…" Eden waved off the worry.

"What was that?" her tone on the other side turned fierce, as she was already holding a kitchen knife to Eden's throat.

"U-uh, y-yes ma'am!" Eden cried.

"That's more like it. And if you can, stay away from that…thing, while you're in Rush Valley," the woman hung up on her pupil. Eden set down the phone with a sigh. Rose, who was coming along, patted her friend's shoulder.

"Ready?" she wondered, to which Eden nodded, boarding the train. Thankfully, the car wasn't exactly full, so everyone had enough room to climb aboard. Along the way, including a few stops in a few cities that made the group nervous due to the large concentration of the military, Eden became lost in thought, replaying the events of the previous few days over and over in her head, and it all came back to that symbol on those monsters. The Ouroboros...the Philosopher's Stone… and what that man had said…

Rose, witnessing the gears turning in Eden's head and seeing her slowly become more and more frustrated by her inability to answer any of her own questions, decided to speak up about it. "Eden? You look stressed," she claimed.

"Then I look exactly how I feel," Eden answered.

"Is it because of those people in the church?" the younger girl wondered.

That was when Eden remembered. "It's just…one of them said the strangest thing; he said 'in the palm of my hand, I hold the key'," Eden stated, causing Rose to gasp. "Ring any bells?"

"That's… exactly what I said, the day-"

"The day you attempted Human Transmutation, " Eden finished. "Not to mention, Ling found the guy in the same room that you performed it in, the one where I burned that monster… I just… can't help but feel that there's a connection…"

Rose got a hopeful glint in her eye. "Maybe…Kain actually…" a few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Rose…" Eden warned, not wanting her to fall down the same path twice, following the same hopeless dream.

"No, you're right…there's no way that Kain could be back. Besides, you said that he seemed to bring soldiers up from the grave himself, right? Kain could never do that," she assured herself.

Suddenly, there was a lurch in the train car, as others from the car ahead of them entered theirs. The men who entered seemed to be wearing outdated military uniforms. "Everybody in the car, may I have your attention!" their foreman called out, waving his weapon from one person to the other. "This train is officially under control. Any who would resist will be shot immediately."

Eden gave a look to them, as if saying 'yeah right,' garnering a look of annoyance from the men, who lifted Eden up by her shirt and putting the muzzle up to her neck. In a gut reaction, Eden swatted the gun away, smashing her Automail fist into the man's gut. She then grabbed him around the neck and used the man as a shield. The others were hesitant to fire. "Let the man go, you bitch. We don't want you, only Mustang."

"Colonel Mustang?" Eden repeated. "Why is Mustang on the train?"

"Don't know, don't care. We just know that we want him dead."

"Heh," Eden smirked. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"

Ling seemed to take the hint, sneaking up on the remaining two men and holding his blade and a knife up to their throats. "I think you're gonna want to put the weapons down, soldiers."

Slowly, the two obeyed, and soon the group had them tied up and harmless. "What's the deal, Fullmetal?" Ling wondered. "I thought we were _against_ the Amestrian military? You wanna help this 'Mustang'?"

"We are, but ah…this particular colonel is a special case," Eden explained briefly. "I'm guessing he's in the head car?" she turned to the tied up soldiers.

"Why should we tell you?"

Eden gave them a feminine smile. "Pretty please?" she requested, only have them turn away. Eden frowned, clapped her hands, and formed a sick blade on her Automail. "How about now?" Now terrified of her, the goons quickly revealed everything.

They were led by a man named Bald, formerly a colonel before 'Mustang' revealed dissent on his part and got him discharged. Now, he was back with a vengeance, prepared to take back his rank or kill 'Mustang' in the process. And yes, he _was_ in the head car, with 'Mustang'.

"Alright, here's the plan. Rose, Ling, you head through the cars. If you see any civilians, help them, but uh...don't help the soldiers," Eden stated as she opened the window. "Wish me luck," she said as she leapt out and swung into the rooftop, nearly toppling over from the wind.

Thankfully, the roofs appeared to be clear of soldiers, and Eden could see why; the train was moving fast enough to where even moving forward was a challenge. Soon, she had made her way to the head car, and peeked in. She saw Hawkeye, 'Mustang,' tied up with a gag in her mouth to prevent her from calling for help. Opposite her was a man, older than most, but still fit for duty, sporting a gnarly Automail arm opposite to Eden's, his left. Silently, Eden opened the window, ran up behind the man, and kicked him out the opposite window.

Eden was then able to breathe a sigh of relief, as the immediate threat was gone, before turning her attention to Hawkeye.

"Fullmetal?" Hawkeye wondered, her voice muffled from the gag. She looked bewildered that Eden was even there.

Eden shot her a sly grin. "I've half a mind to leave you like that," she said evilly, squeezing and unsqueezing her hands. "And degrade you even further…" she said ominously. Hawkeye looked more annoyed than worried. Upon seeing a lack of response, Eden sighed. "You're no fun," she said as she moved behind the older woman, taking out her gag first.

"Ah!" Hawkeye took in a deep breath before coughing, the gag apparently being thick enough to garner that. "It took you long enough, Fullmetal."

"You act as if you knew I'd be here."

"Do you remember who you're talking to?" Hawkeye questioned as Eden freed her hands. "I know every person who's on this train."

"So you knew about these turncoats, then?"

"Yes I did, and in fact, I was hoping you'd deal with them for me."

"And I think you're forgetting who _you're_ talking to," Eden warned, her voice becoming as icy as Hawkeye's. "The only reason I got involved was because it would've made for an unpleasant trip, being held hostage and all," Eden smirked once again as she loosened her poise. "I'm sure you could relate."

Hawkeye chuckled dryly. "I suppose you've always been self-centered like that," Eden flinched at the comment.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Eden questioned the woman. "Whatever. Anyway, right now, the safest place is the roof, so we should here back up there."

"Right. Lead the way, fugitive."

As the two climbed on, they felt the entire thing shake. It took all of their combined balance to keep each other on their feet. "What was that?" Eden question, only to look behind them, and see that there was a...blur. It was the same blur from the church though this time it was a bit more defined;it left behind a seemingly constant trail of red lightning as if it ran on alchemical energy, and it was ramming against the side of the train at such a force that it was rocking it. "What the hell is that?" Eden questioned.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Ling and Rose were making steady progress through the train as Hawkeye and Eden were on top, finally coming to meet the actual mercenaries who were running the train, with a group of tied Amestrian soldiers in the corner. Immediately, Ling whipped out his blade and went to town on the mercenaries that were in the car, and whatever ones he left conscious were taken care of via Rose's long-range Alkahestry, forcing trees to grow from the wood floors underneath, entangling their arms and legs in the roots, and allowing Rose to disarm them with a smile and no rush.

"Pretty good," Ling commented as he regrouped with her. "Where'd you learn?"

"Just some old books that Eden brought me a while back. I'm still learning, but I'd say the basic stuff like long-range transmutation are pretty easy at this point," Rose agreed. "So, what do we do with them?" She asked of the hostages.

"Eh, let's leave 'em," Ling said. "These Amestrian dogs would just cause trouble if we let go of the leash, if you know what I mean."

"Are strange analogies a Xingese thing?" Rose wondered. "Like the idea that bears are bad and now comparing soldiers to dogs?"

"I, uh…" Ling wasn't quite sure how to respond to the question; it was just a quirk of his speech. Thankfully, or not, there was a gunshot fired from the edge of the car, the bad end.

"Damn that Mustang and her filthy lackeys!" A man with a receding hairline and an eyepatch entered, having shot the hostages straight in the hearts from the opposite side of the train car; truly a great shot, nearly rivalling Hawkeye...well, perhaps that's an exaggeration.

In any case, the man stomped forward. "I'm guessing you'd be Bald?" Ling questioned.

"Oh, wow, I never would've guessed," the man feigned shock. "Who the hell else looks like this, huh?"

"S-sir!" One of the mercenaries called out, one of the ones entangled in an artificial tree. "Thank goodness you're here. These two came and had some crazy magic, not like anything I've ever seen, sir!"

"Hm," Bald walked over. "I can tell," Blad raised his left arm, one of Automail, and shot the man in the head. Ling instinctively held his arm out, protecting Rose as Bald proceeded to shoot all of his men that we unconscious or subdued. "Useless piles of skins; that's all they were," he lamented.

"You bastard…" Ling's eyes visibly opened. "Is that how you'd treat your comrades?"

"Comrades? As if they deserve the honor. They were subordinates _at best_ ," Blad made the last part very clear. "They knew exactly what would come to them should they fail me."

"You monster!" Ling burst forward, clashing his sword with the man's Automail. "What's your problem? Killing defenseless people like that?"

"They were weak, useless, broken, as you're soon to be!" Blad pushed the younger man back, and opened fire. Ling managed to duck behind a seat before continuing his assault, leaping out and throwing several kunai towards Bald to distract him, long enough for Ling to get in close, locking his blades and Bald's arm once again. "You're not half bad, kid. Who are you? If you want, I could use a man like you," Bald offered.

"My name is Ling Yao, of the Yao clan, and the twelfth prince of Xing. I am royalty, you petty mercenary. I've dealt with sedition before."

"Really? Is your kingdom as corrupt as ours, then?" Bald continued to egg him on. "Because if it is, then you aren't going to get any better here."

"The sedition I've brought forth and put down has been because of my own shortcomings. On my path of royalty, I have learned things that you fail to see. You are a leader, and yet you would slaughter your own people, and for what?" Ling pushed back and cut off the muzzles of the guns built into Bald's Automail. "A leader is supposed to lead by example; follow the path of the warrior to encourage your own. Follow the path of the caretaker if your goal is to heal, but _never_ follow the path of murderer!" Ling shoved his blade into Bald's arm, straight through to the stump behind it. Bald let out a massive cry of pain, yanking back and causing his arm to explode from the force.

"Damn you!" Bald burst forward, ready to attack once again, but Ling was ready, raising his blade, but he didn't even need to strike. Another, more massive tree sprouted from the ground, entangling Bald while in midair.

Rose let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, all's well that ends well."

"Almost," Ling raised his blade to Bald's neck. Rose watched as he did. "I'm about to tell you the three responsibilities a leader or ruler of any kind need do."

"N-no, you can't kill me!" Bald tried to reason.

"One: a ruler must remain even tempered at all times pertaining to his duties."

"You were angry I killed someone who couldn't fight back, right? Don't do it!" Blad persisted.

"Two: a ruler must treat those underneath him as if they were first of kin, so as achieve maximum efficiency in his duties."

"No!" Ling raised his blade.

"And three: a ruler must always be the one to deliver justice!" Ling swung down, bashing Bald's head with the hilt of the blade, knocking him unconscious. "I'm sure that your ruler will do such when the time comes," Ling finished.

"Ling…" Rose was hesitant to ask about the sudden outburst her new friend had.

Ling sighed, his demeanor back to normal. "Well, that was fun," he claimed. "Not very often I get to play the executioner, you know?"

"R-right," Rose agreed. "Eden's probably waiting for us in the head car. Let's go!"

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

"What the hell is that?" Eden questioned the blur that was running up to the train.

"I don't care, I'm taking care of it," Hawkeye answered, taking out her pistol and opening fire on it as it was going parallel to the train. They saw it duck and dive, in that the blur got smaller and lifted off the ground, as if it could see the bullets coming. Finally, as it was going perpendicular to the train, Hawkeye fired one more shot, after careful aim, and hit it. At first, it didn't look like anything had happened, like the bullet passed right through, but after its next ramming, it stopped and tumbled backwards in a cloud of dust and red lightning. It was only for a moment, because of the speed at the train was moving, but Eden saw it. "Wait, that can't be a person?"

"Whatever it is, it didn't stop running when I shot it dead on," Hawkeye stated. "We should hurry and free my men. They should be-"

Before she could any further, the blur had appeared back again, this time using its momentum to run directly on the side of the train car, proceeding to make it's way to Eden and Hawkeye, knocking over Hawkeye and forcing Eden to catch her and pull her back up. "Damn it!" Eden clapped her hands together and made a large barrier to separate them from their adversary, but it turned out to do more harm than good, as after the blur had leapt straight over it, it smashed the two in the wall without ever slowing down.

Eden attempted to fight back, but against that kind of speed, she didn't stand a chance of ever hitting it. Even Hawkeye, with a unparalleled shot, couldn't hit the blur again.

"Ed!" Ling called to her from past her opponent. The blur ducked behind the wall. Eden heard exasperated breathing from the other side, even through the wind.

"So, you _do_ eventually tire out," she noted as she clapped her hands and formed a blade from her Automail. She then leapt up past the barrier and attempted to run through whoever it was, but it seemed they were prepared, and had already moved. When Eden landed, she immediately felt the wind taken out of her by a punch to the gut, and then she was shoved into the wall yet again.

Eden just barely stayed conscious as it rammed into her again. Her vision got blurry for a moment, when it cleared, she saw the blur retreating, its red lightning signifying its departure. Eden held her side as she stood once again, having been easily swept aside by this new foe.

"What the hell are you…?" she muttered to herself before everyone returned to the back car, now that everything had settled. Eden opted down onto her seat, her entire torso aching from the conflict.

Hawkeye rested next to her. "I'll be sure to avoid mentioning you in my report," she said to the younger girl.

"Then how will you explain where I freed you?" Eden countered.

"I'll take the credit," Hawkeye responded.

"You _were_ always self-centered like that, I suppose," she mimicked Hawkeye from earlier. "We'll get off at Rush Valley, next stop."

"Right. I'll keep in touch," Hawkeye stood and left. Ling hung over Eden from the seat behind her seat.

"You wanna tell me what's up with that Mustang woman now?" Ling wanted.

"She's an old friend," Eden said vaguely. "Her and I go way back."

"You mean after you tried to kill her?" Wes wondered.

"Alright, first off, you weren't even there, and second, yes, that's correct."

"You tried to kill her?"

"It's a long story," Eden stated. "Listen, I'm _really_ tired, so if you could just...leave me alone for a while," she requested. While she wasn't actually all that tired, Ling seemed to get the message.

"Okay," he returned to his own seat as Wes sat next to Eden.

"...Didn't you get the message?" The girl said, irritable after her loss.

Wes put a hand on Eden's leg and held it there. "You'll figure this out, and I'll stick with you till you do," he assured her. "…In my hands the strength; in my heart the courage…"

"In my soul the drive," Eden finished, smiling. "Thanks," she turned back to the window and rested her head for only just a moment, unintentionally dozing off in the process.

 **Author's Note:**

 **You know, I really don't mean for these to turn out so long, it just kinda happens. I don't know, let me know what you guys think of the length along with your thoughts on the chapter itself in a review, if you could!**

 **Anyway, who is this mysterious person that attacked the train? Will Ling's devotion to his people come up again in the future? Am I just baiting you all to keep reading? The answer to all of them is 'yes', especially the first question...totally ;D**


	9. 6 Homunculus

Ah, Rush Valley; truly it is the bottom of the barrel for everyone except the most diehard of Automail gearheads. At least that's what Eden thought, before there was a massive underground resistance against the Amestrian government. Now, it was _right_ up her alley.

The trip there, other than the always necessary attempted hijacking, was pleasant, in that Eden slept through it. When she awoke, she was being shaken by Wes. "Hey, Eden, we're here," he told her.

"Right, right, I'm up," Eden wiped the tiredness from her eyes as she stood and stepped off the train, being sure to cover up her Automail to avoid contact with any unnecessary assholes to sock in the jaw. Thankfully, they all made it to Wes' workshop smoothly, and began getting settled for the wait. "So how long until your Teacher arrives?" Ling wondered.

"A little less than a week," Eden answered. "We have some time to kill, so do whatever you want," she waved him off. "Until then, I'm going to go mentally prepare myself for the inevitable visit from the She-Devil. If you'll excuse me," Eden took her leave. Ling and Wes exchanged a glance.

"Is her Teacher really that bad?"

"I mean, she's never been like that to _me_ ," Wes replied. "Hey, if you want to make yourself useful, you could help me unpack my supplies."

"Sure," Ling and Rose got to work as temporary assistants of the gearhead.

Little did they know that they would be getting an early visitor. Thankfully, a few days had passed before he arrived, giving everyone time to settle in. He came early in the morning, just after they'd gotten Eden off of her lazy ass.

He was a large man, at least seven feet tall, with the physique of a bodybuilder. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but hear that you were back in town," his deep voice resonated through the workshop. Wes stood from behind his counter.

"Oh, Alex," Wes greeted the behemoth.

"My gods, he's a giant!" Ling admired, a carefree smile on his face. "How'd you like to serve me and together, we can rule this country with an iron fist, that is, _your_ iron fist, when this is all over?"

The man chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met, foreigner, but…" the man ripped off his shirt, revealing his toned abdomen. "I am the illustrious Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strongarm Alchemist!" He claimed.

"Right, Alex, we get the idea," Wes threw him his shirt.

"Ah, but alas, foreigner, I cannot heed your request, as, if you hadn't noticed," he gestured to his left arm, or rather, where it should've been. "I'm down by about seventeen pounds from where I would like to be."

"Wow…" Ling continued to admire, despite himself. "What happened?"

"Alchemical rebound, I'm afraid. Although skilled in the Armstrong family's signature Alchemy, other, more complicated transmutation may have had...nasty repercussions."

"Really? That's exactly what happened to Ed; lost an arm because of Human Transmutation from what I hear."

"Ed? You wouldn't happen to mean Eden Elric?" Alex wondered.

"Yeah, she's my travelling partner; we're on a search for the Philosopher's stone so that I can inevitably betray her and take it for my own desires. Sounds like a fun adventure, doesn't it?" Ling smiled, while Rose and Wes just looked a little disturbed.

Eden walked out into the open, having changed into a tanktop and shorts, with a toothbrush stick out of her mouth. "I heard my name," she stated, only to realize who had asked about her. "Oh no…"

"Eden Elric!" Alex rushed toward her and brought her into a bear hug. "After your final heartfelt letter stating your purpose of leaving for Xing, I had all but lost hope in our cause! How glad I am to have you back in our midst!"

"Can't...breathe…" Eden choked out, only for Alex to let go. "And if you recall, Armstrong, I said I was getting an extra arm," Eden pointed to Ling. "I never said I was leaving. And by the way, it's _my_ cause, you poser," she crossed her arms and turned away.

"You act so _coldly_!" Alex released buckets of tears.

"Yeah well, when Teacher gets here, you're _definitely_ gonna get it!" Eden warned.

"Not the madwoman?"

"Yeah, her," Eden confirmed.

"Oh, have mercy on thy soul!"

"I'm afraid she's already on her way," Eden said.

"Yeah, and when she gets here, the first thing she'll do is snap your neck for being so reckless," Wes stated. Eden flinched.

"You don't know that!" She snapped at him. "Anyway, onto business; Armstrong, how've things been going while I've been away?"

Alex cleared his throat. "They could've gone a lot worse. Nothing major has occurred, no."

"Good, then you may leave."

Alex towered over the younger girl. "I shall leave when I feel I must do so, no sooner, or so help me I will hug you once again!"

"Yes sir!" Eden reacted on instinct alone, retreating back into the workshop. Alex bowed his head.

"Now then, I suppose I shouldn't bother you anymore than is needed. Oh yes, and," he pulled a small handgun out of his pocket. "The postal service delivered this to me, so that I may give it, in turn, to you, Wes," Armstrong handed the man the firearm. "It isn't loaded, so there's no hard to be done," he assured. "Now then, I must take my leave," the man said as he left.

Wes examined the weapon, unsure of why it was delivered to him. He'd spend the next hour taking it apart as, whoever sent it, they certainly wanted to make the task difficult. Fortunately, it was worth it, as inside the weapon was a rolled up piece of of paper with a seal depicting a transmutation circle keeping the paper from unrolling.

After debating whether to show Eden, Wes decided against it. Not only would it likely stress her out even more than everything already is, but even if it led to a clue as to the location of something she wants, she was going to meet her Teacher here in three and a half days anyway; he'd give it to her then, after the meeting passes.

Speaking of the meeting day, after a full week of no action, Eden suddenly burst up. Wes, Rose, and her had been sitting at the table eating lunch, when Eden suddenly stood. "Hm? Eden? What's wrong?" Rose wondered.

"I'm done," she answered.

"Done with what?"

"I'm done thinking about those stupid superhumans. I'm done thinking about them; after I was put flat on my sweet ass _twice_ now, in a row, mind you, I'm done, alright?"

"Right, got it," Wes didn't seem all too concerned.

"I'm going out to show off my Automail."

"That...doesn't sound like you," Rose claimed. "Do you have a reason to go along with that decision?"

"I told you, I lost twice in a row; I'm going to bust everyone else's Automatic and win tons of money," Eden stated as she exited. Wes and Rose exchanged a look, as if deciding which of them would accompany her.

"...I should probably follow her," Wes conceded the silent battle as he stood and left after his friend.

He caught up to her in the plaza, where he walked into her as she lifted off her shirt, revealing nothing but a black tube top. "Uh, I don't think that's necessary," Wes commented.

"Quiet, mechanic," Eden ordered. She got into a large crowd. "Alright boys, I propose a competition!" She called out to the men who were marvelling at each other's Automail. "You can all try to beat my arm in a test of strength, but you won't do it!"

"But you're a girl," one of them commented.

Eden flinched. "Wow, I never noticed; what of it?" She put her hands on her hips and awaited an answer. "Nothing? Alright, how about this?" She pointed to herself. "I'll sleep with the winner, no questions, you can make it as freaky as you want!"

That finally seemed to get their perverted gears turning, and soon, she got some challengers. In no time at all, a table was set up to where they could arm wrestle, and a bucket was offered for bets. Her first challenger approached. Eden clapped her hands together, rubbing them for the effect, and prepared to subtly transmute her opponent's gears to come undone. The two gripped the other's hand, and when they called "Go!" The wrestle begin. The man facing Eden looked to be struggling, as Eden remained stagnant, not allowing the man even a centimeter, slowly transmuting his gears apart, before she felt it finally give. She then squeezed, and slammed her hand down, with the crushed Automail touching the table, signifying her win. "W-what? Impossible!" The man claimed.

Eden held up what was left of the man's forearm. "Believe it, and while you're at it, cough up the dough," Eden requested, though it extremely passive-aggressive. Wes could only sigh at his friend's immaturity, as she plowed through tens of opponents, making enough to fully pay off his workshop and still keep him fed for over a year.

Finally, an actual challenger approached. "I think I'll give this a shot without all the nuts and bolts," an older woman's voice came through the crowd. Eden chuckled.

"Whatever, lady," she said, clapping her hands to prepare for another transmutation before cognitively processing who it was, only doing so after she turned to the woman. The sky went dark, and the ground opened up to flame spewing out at a million degrees, the woman turning into a hideous snake-like beast with red eyes that pierced the soul with a message; "you'd better not transmute me or I'll kill you here and now, my _arrogant_ pupil!"

Eden suddenly had butterflies in her stomach as her Teacher and her husband took the forefront. Thankfully, she retained her composure. "So, _stranger_ ," she made that part clear. "What would you like to bet?"

"All of your money and these books," Sig held up a plastic bag. "Should be sufficient."

"Fine," Eden answered. Izumi clapped her hands, and then both Eden and Wes knew what was about to happen, but Eden was too proud to back down. Wes stepped in between them.

"Alright, I think it's time to break up this party. The girl concedes defeat," he spoke for her.

"Wes! What the hell?" Eden smacked his arm. "N-no, I don't!" The others were already leaving. "You bastard! I was just getting warmed up!"

"You mean you were about to lose that piece of hardware to me," Izumi corrected. "So, do you want to explain what's been going on, after we travelled all the way here?"

"Sure, but, uh…" Eden looked around. "You never know who's listening in. Let's head back to the workshop."

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

"A homunculus?" Eden asked as she read it.

"Yes, the Ouroborus is commonly associated with it. It's a form of theoretical alchemy, but even still, it's just a myth," Izumi claimed. She looked at Eden, who had a look of _actual_ intrigue. "Eden, you don't actually think these mythical beings exist, do you?"

The younger girl took a deep breath. "I've seen beings survive a bullet head on, things that can control a torrent, and those that can call forth the dead to fight for them," she claimed. "At this point, I'm willing to believe that anything is possible."

"I suppose I can see where you're coming from. After all, before I met you, I didn't think there'd be such a spoiled and arrogant child in this world, but man…"

"What was that, you old hag?"

A knife suddenly appeared out of nowhere, which Izumi pointed at her student. "Call me that again and you won't live another moment!"

"S-sorry!" Eden was quick in her apology before matters returned to their serious tone. "Even still, none of these books say how to get rid of these Homunculi. If these thing are on the side of the Amestrian military, then we're going to have a problem."

"You mean _you'll_ have a problem," Izumi corrected. "I told you that I'm not following you on your self-righteous crusade. I can help you here or there, and if you need help in your Alchemy, fine, but I'm not fighting your battle."

"I know," Eden waved off the statement. "But I've got my extra hands anyway," she gestured to Rose and Ling. "Listen, would you mind if I kept these for a while? I'd like to look over them again."

"That's fine," Izumi said. "Bt what about after that?"

"After that, I'll need to find out how to kill these abominations. If your books can't help, then maybe the Amestrian military can."

"You're saying that you want to raid Central Library?"

"That's right."

Izumi put a hand on her student's shoulder. "Then it was a pleasure knowing you!"

"Hey!"

"No, you're right…it wasn't a pleasure."

"Would you just get out of here already?" Eden snapped, to which the room laughed at her expense.

Unfortunately, the laughter came to a stop, as a vacuum of speed whipped through the room, and left as soon as it came. "What was…" Wes began to ask.

"The books!" Eden cried. "Get the bastard!"

She rushed outside, seeing the blur retreating, and fast. Eden quickly clapped her hands and propelled herself toward it, with Izumi not far behind. Soon, Eden launched herself to give her more speed, allowing her to catch up to a tackle thief Homunculus, though it sped away before she got her hands on the books or her eyes on its face.

Thankfully, Izumi had circled around and created a barrier to block it's path. "Keep it running. It tires out eventually!" Eden called, blocking off another way forward for the monster. This repeated for a whole, until eventually Eden was able to get her hands on the Homunculus. "I finally caught you!" she claimed as she grabbed one end of the book while the Homunculus grabbed the others, a hood covering it's face. Eden tugged and kicked and wrestled the book free of its grasp, knocking it over in the process and making its hood drop, revealing its face. Upon seeing it, Eden's heart skipped, her breath was taken, and her entire soul was shaken to its core.

"...Alphonse?"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ah, and so the twist is revealed. Show of hands, how many caught it before it happened? and from her,e you can make all sorts of assumptions about future twists that I won't go into for fear of actual spoilers.**

 **In any case, why don't you guys leave a review or two so I know that it worked? It would mean _so_ much to me if you did!**


	10. 7 Melancholy

"Alphonse?" Eden said his name, with it rolling off her tongue as if foreign. She was looking up at something that wasn't human except...those eyes; they were her own shining amber eyes, inherited from their late father.

The Homunculus stared down at her, confused. "What did you call me?" He seemed just as perplexed as Eden was before he suddenly reared back and yelled, holding his head as if it were about to split open.

"W-what's-" Eden reached for the Homunculus, but her hand was swatted away.

"No! Stay away from me!" He yelled.

"Eden!" Izumi and Ling rushed to the scene. Upon seeing them closing in, the Homunculus fled, racing off in the blur he'd come in on, leaving the books behind.

Eden watched after him in a dazed stupor, not processing that Wes and Rose had caught up, Rose was shaking her and calling her name, and that Wes then carried her back to his workshop.

It's just...how? Eden didn't even care about the why, like "why was Alphonse on the side of the enemy?" It was just "How is Alphonse alive?"

Eden ran every possible idea through her head, using the knowledge she had prior to the encounter, to come up with a reasonable explanation for Alphonse's appearance, but there was nothing that could erase that one undeniable fact: Eden Elric had seen Alphonse Elric get shot through the chest, and saw the light fade from his eyes.

It only took until that night, when the first crack of thunder sounded, for Eden to wake up and run away. That was what she did when her mother died; she ran away through studying Alchemy. That was what she did when Alphonse had died; she ran away through trying to bring him back. And now, she just...ran. Ran far away, hopped on a train and just left everything behind, except for the rain that followed her; hanging over her and dampening her golden glow that had resonated so brightly in rebellion all of this time. Eden left her work, her friends, allies, books, everything, and went back to where it all began; Resembool.

Perhaps she was subconsciously trying to retrace her steps, starting back at the place she'd called home, all that time ago, but if that were the case then she might've actually been searching for something. Sure, she'd passed by the train tracks, the grocery store she'd travelled to everyday right after her mother had died, to provide for Alphonse, the river she'd spent playing with Alphonse and Wes during her early childhood, Wes' house, where she'd gotten her first Automail prosthetic, and where Wes became her mechanic; after suffering an amputated leg and the death of her mother from the riots, and finally, past the house she'd grown up in, with Alphonse and her mother eating peacefully at the kitchen table, not a care in the world and discovering new things everyday.

Even then, Eden couldn't find the answer she was looking for. She couldn't even find the question. The rain had begun to soak Eden's Automail prosthetics, and both were beginning to lock up on every little movement. Eden went up to the big hill that overlooked the entirety of Resembool, and sat underneath its branches, trying to shield herself from the rain, but even then it never let her escape. The pellets dropped onto her from the leaves after they'd clumped up and become heavier and heavier on the foliage. Her Automail was useless in the rain, the excruciating pain from the rain making her want to throw up, but in her current state, she never processed that little detail, and remained static.

She was a statue; the endless wanderer, who wonders why she was put into this life of misery, chaos, and uncertainty. Eden let her Automail arm hang lazily across her body, holding her Automail leg which was stuck into a folded-in position, her other arm clinging onto the metallic surface of her prosthetic. Finally, after all of this time, the tears fell.

With the encounter in Rush Valley, Eden's scars from _that day_ were reopened and doubled in size. It was a wound to her soul so severe that it couldn't be closed by even the loss of a limb in a misguided attempt at playing God.

Eden feared this wound would never close, and the tears would continue to spill in place of the blood that she would've been glad to pay, if nothing else than to get rid of this pain in her chest; the gaping void that wouldn't close.

It wasn't long before someone walked up to her, perhaps five hours, and it turned out to be Wes, though Eden kept her gaze low and motionless, as it had been since she first came to the hill. He held his usual calmness on his person, carrying an umbrella to shield himself from the sadness Eden's storm was spreading around her.

"You know you'll catch a cold," he said, trying to act nonchalant. Eden lifted her head up slightly to look at him, but then she lowered it again. "Come back to us, Eden."

There were those words; the ones that had haunted her since _that day_. Eden began shaking uncontrollably and the tears came on in an explosive new wave. Eden held her still-functioning hand to her face, letting out raspy, unattractive moans and whines and whimpers, all the while trying to hide from the man who'd stood by her side; the only one who truly believed in her and her goals, and for him to see her like this…

Wes sighed. "You know, sometimes I wonder why I even allow you out of my sight. You're irresponsible, and recalcitrant, and you never listen, not to mention you're prone to find trouble wherever you go, and you're so unstable, it's a wonder you can make it through the day at all," he kneeled down to look her in the eye, taking her hand into his own. "Now, I'm not saying that you aren't all of the above, but whenever I look into your eyes...your beautiful sparkling eyes, when I saw the glint of mischief, or the fires of determination in them, I know that all I need to do, to help you, is to be there."

"Well, you're not *sniff* helping me now…" Eden moaned in protest.

Wes smiled. "Maybe not until you're ready for me to help, but I promise I'll be by your side," he assured, handing her the umbrella and then picking her up and walking her over to her former house. "By the way, count yourself lucky that I still have the key to your house," he said as he unlocked and opened the door.

Eden had ceased listening, becoming lost in her own thoughts. Each time she delved too deep she tried to focus on the warmth she felt from Wes' body as he carried her. While she certainly wasn't used to or even particularly wanted the coddling, just feeling the warmth of another human felt so grounding to Eden.

Before she knew it, she had fallen fast asleep, mentally exhausted from the ordeal.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

The Alphonse lookalike ran far away from Rush Valley, back to the place that was closest to his own home. It was a dark little place, which he shared with four others. He burst in without warning, sooning collapsing onto his knees, and gripping his head in vain, trying to alleviate a bit of the massive pain that had formed when he'd heard that name. Alphonse...who was Alphonse? And why did it cause such agony within him.

One of the others in the room, Lust, chuckled. "What's up, Sloth? Did the Fullmetal Toddler get the best of you?"

"Shut up!" Sloth yelled back, his voice bold and forceful in an attempt to convey strength during this strange moment of weakness.

However, that only made Lust bust out laughing. "And I see you didn't even bring back the prize! Hahaha!"

Sloth stood and clenched his fists, only to collapse again, as the extra movement sent his head reeling. "Hey," Greed, another person in the room, started. "You okay, kid?"

"Not so hot when your fun is whisked away, like you did for us back in Lior, am I right?" Lust mocked him.

"Now, now…" a figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing a pristine uniform with four stars on each shoulder. "Brethren like us has no need for these squabbles. You know that for the plan to work, we must have careful planning and cooperation from everyone," the man that had appeared was old, almost decrepit, and yet his commanding presence and sense of experience that he let off was enough for even Lust to acknowledge.

"Sure, whatever you say, old timer," Lust tried to play it casually.

"Very good. Sloth, report."

"There was a...girl. Could've been the one on the train, but I don't know; I was moving too fast to make it out. She was an Alchemist. There was another one, older; they cornered me and the girl caught me. When she saw me she called me...Alphonse."

"And you ran away?"

Sloth ignored the question. "Please, Pride, tell me who Alphonse is? Who is he? Who am I? And why does that name make me feel so weak?" Sloth ignored the question. Pride, the 'old timer' kneeled down and put a hand onto his subordinate's shoulder.

"Alphonse was a boy who was caught in the crossfire, nothing more. Of that, I can assure you. As for this girl, she was merely a pawn in the plan. I realize now that it was foolish to send such an inexperienced Homunculus to stop her. For now, you should recover your strength," Pride stood. "Wrath," he turned to the final figure, barely standing three and a half feet tall; merely a child really. "I believe it's time for you to make your debut to the Fullmetal."

Wrath's blank eyes remained neutral. "Alright," she dropped her arms to her side, the doll of a dog chimera hanging by its paw in her tiny hand. "I'll go now."

"Wait!" Sloth stopped them. "Those books you sent me for; they're useless to them. If they're Alchemists, then they'll seek more knowledge, right?"

"And there's only one place in the country with that much Alchemical knowledge," Greed agreed, with the others quickly picking up on the idea.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

When Eden next awoke, she was under the cover of something soft, with her head resting comfortably. What was this...warmth? The warmth underneath her cheek.

Eden slowly opened her eyes, not only to see what it was, but keep herself from falling back asleep. However, any thoughts of working were immediately put on hold as Wes' face was just inches from hers, his hand under her cheek as a pillow. Both of them were lying underneath the kitchen table; how they got there and why they chose to sleep both together and under the table was beyond Eden.

Immediately upon recognizing his face in front of hers, Eden froze, tightening up every muscle in her body until she could lift her head and move back without any extra movement. Slowly but surely, Eden managed to stand, slowly recollecting the events that led her to that position, and having a fresh wave of melancholy strike her heart. Still, her tears had dried up, and they would remain that way until the next tragic reminder of her failures came along.

Eden sighed, walking outside into the brisk morning air, trying to get the redness to evaporate from her face from her awakening. She leaned on the railing and plopped her forehead onto her arms, closing her eyes as she did.

Perhaps five more minutes wouldn't hurt…

No! She jerked back up and shook her head. Though even then her body felt sluggish, as if she were underwater.

"You never _were_ a morning person," Wes said form the doorway. Eden jumped and yelped at the surprise, turning and glaring at him. "So, bed-head, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Breakfast? What? You're just gonna act like yesterday didn't happen?"

"That's something I took from you," he waved off the concern as she reentered the house.

"H-hey!" She ran after him. "Get back here and make me food, grease-monkey!"

Their breakfast was peaceful. They talked the whole time, about anything except the previous day, and when it was over, they just sat staring at the other. Eventually, it had to stop, for fear of that awkward silence creeping in.

Wes reached into his back pocket. "Well, I've had this for a while, but since you were meeting up with Mrs. Curtis, I figured you wouldn't want it until after you saw her," he showed her the letter he'd found within the handgun. He turned it to show her the seal. It was a theoretical Flame Alchemy Circle, and it was the symbol Hawkeye had used to contact Eden through these messages since their meeting.

"Hawkeye?" Eden reached for it and snatched it away, ripping it open and reading it aloud.

"Fullmetal,

I'd overheard on the train that you were meeting up with your Alchemy Teacher to read up on that creature we saw on the train. While I don't don't the woman's expertise, I figure you'd want more pragmatic materials. In case you were interested, there's a ball being held the Commons of the National Central Library. I, holding the rank of colonel, am allowed two guests of my choosing. I've invited you, if you so choose to participate. If you accept, I'll be stopping Rush Valley on my way there, and you may join me.

Sincerely, Riza"

"Riza?" Eden wondered. She'd never used _that_ name to sign her letters before.

"First name?" Wes guessed.

"Must be," Eden agreed. "Maybe it was a mistake?"

"Or maybe she just trusts you," Wes offered optimistically.

Eden chuckled. "Yeah, right; Hawkeye couldn't trust me any farther than she could shoot me."

"I don't think-"

"No one cares what you think," Eden interrupted, standing up. "Because right now, I just got a free ticket into the Central Library!"

"Uh, news flash," Wes said. "You're not exactly inconspicuous," he gestured to her fiery hair and Automail Prosthetics.

"Well, lucky for me, Hawkeye and I, and you, by the way, look a lot alike, so we could say we're relatives!" Wes didn't even try to argue against going with her. "The Automail isn't exactly uncommon in this country since the riots began anyway, so I could pass off with just an 'it was the riots' explanation. As for my face being wanted; that was totally the 'me' from three years ago."

"Yeah, you _used_ to be kinda cute. Now you look like a horrible demon," Wes flicked her nose.

"Oh, piss off!" Eden swatted his hand away and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "Come on, we're going shopping for fancy clothes!"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, so I just want to say that I wrote this while half asleep and sick, so if there are any mistakes, please excuse that...*yawn***

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I want to inform you guys that I've changed my mind on a small detail; the Homunculus that controlled water back in Lior I'm changing to Greed, and not Wrath. It'll make sense why I did so later, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to change it, though since it's already posted, it makes things a little awkward. But again, hot off the press and all that...**

 **Anyway, why don't you guys leave me a review detailing your opinions? It would mean the world to me if you did, and, hey, it might actually make me feel like not total crap! It's a win-win situation!**


	11. 8 Operation: Blitz Raid Pt 1

"Are you sure about this?" Eden wondered from within her room, standing in front of the only mirror in the workshop.

"You're the one who said I had no say in it," Wes replied, sitting impatiently for her to emerge. This was the one thing, out of all the obnoxious and downright rude things that Eden does to him; Wes hated when she wasted time. "You aren't having second thoughts, are you?"

The door opened, and Eden stepped out, wearing a dress on the tighter side, sporting a sleek black color and matching heels, letting her long blonde hair fall loosely down her back with little curls at the end. "I don't know; I'm just wondering if it's too stand-out-ish, you know?" Eden said bashfully.

"Honestly, Eden, I think you're a bit too har-duuuuh…" Wes turned over to her and was left hanging over from her appearance.

Eden turned away. "Stop staring…" she requested before putting on her brave face. "What?"

"It's uh...it's nothing, but…" the man stood.

Eden snickered, finally seeing her chance to make _him_ feel embarrassed. "Why, Wes, do you happen to think I look cute? And not like a 'horrible demon'?" she teased him as he walked over to her.

"Well, I mean," Wes avoided her gaze. "It's just...the dress makes your hips look big," he smirked.

"Wha-you prick! I thought I had you that time!" she cried. "I was gonna turn the tables!"

"Turn the tables? I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, whatever," she locked her arm with his. "Let's hurry up. Hawkeye and the others are waiting for us."

The two made their way to the train station where, indeed, Hawkeye was waiting. Not only that, but for backup, Ling and Rose were tagging along. For those wondering why no Armstrong, well...he's a bit harder to hide.

Rose ran up to Eden. "You look so good!" she exclaimed to the older girl.

"That...wasn't exactly my intention…" Eden replied as they all got onboard.

"You wouldn't know it from how much time she spent getting ready, though," Wes teased.

As they approached Central, and the tensions rose within the car, they all went over the plan one last time. "Rose is staying here, in case we need to heal some cuts or make a fast getaway which is more than likely," Eden started. "Ling, you're gonna camp out a few blocks down, and we'll radio you if you're need. Otherwise, be prepared to get the hell out of there," she pointed to his position, to which he nodded. "Meanwhile, Hawkeye, Wes, and I will go into the ball. The goal is to sneak away, so Wes, you and Hawkeye will have distraction duty. Once the coast is clear, I'll make a break for the inner library, and with any luck I can be out in just a few minutes. Any questions?"

"What if the Homunculi are there?"

"Then we'd better hope they don't want to be found out either," Eden stated as they reached their stop, with all of them putting in earpieces specially order by Hawkeye for this mission, so that they could communicate with each other while in the field; apparently it was cutting edge military tech, which excited Wes that he could use it and, after the mission was over, study and deconstruct it. "And here we go…" she locked her arm with Wes' for effect as they, along with Hawkeye and Ling, made their way to the library from the train station. Thankfully, once Ling departed, the trip was quiet and without trouble. They even got in fairly easily: the doorman had Hawkeye show her military identification and had her explain that Eden was her cousin, with Wes as her date. Even when he asked about Eden's Automail, a simple 'it was the riots' was sufficient enough for him, and he allowed them to pass, where they successfully fit in with the crowd.

At first, nothing happened; it was just military officers conversing with each other, with their own guests. "Did you hear? Even Fuhrer Bradley is supposed to show tonight," one of them said.

"Really? The Fuhrer hasn't appeared in public in the longest time, either," their partner replied.

"Right? And yet that Ice Queen refuses to come down from her frozen throne up at Briggs to have a little fun?"

"Hey, you'd better watch it; I hear she's got contacts everywhere, plus she has one of the most successful track records of any officer."

"Big deal, I could totally…" Eden tried to find a good place to view her fellow ballroomers, and as she found one, Wes stopped her, both of them hearing the music starting.

Wes offered a smile. "Wanna dance?"

"Why should I?" Eden questioned, her cheeks turning rosy just at the offer. "What have you done for me?"

"Must I list them off?" Wes asked.

"Listen, let's just...stick to the plan, okay? If you play your part, grease-monkey, then _maybe_ I'll do you a favor."

Wes chuckled. "Alright, I'm gonna hold you to that," he said as he separated from her, with her climbing the stairs to the balcony, near the exit to the deeper parts of the library. Eden crouched down, being supported, strangely, by the heels, as she scanned the ballroomers.

"Okay...who's attended the blitz?" she wondered. It didn't take long for her to see someone. "Hello, Brigadier General Grand. It's been quite a while, but I haven't forgotten who you _took_ from me," she growled. Being the only one here from that day, he'd surely recognize Eden should he see her. "Wes, to your left, the big guy with the stupid mustache."

"Right," he said back through the earpiece.

Eden did one last scan, but saw no other person who would recognize her. Thankfully, no Homunculi seemed to be present, which was a weight off of Eden's mind for sure. Now, even if someone saw her leave, she could say she was lost, and play the "scared teenage girl" card pretty easily.

That is, until someone tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me, miss, but may I ask for this dance?" a man's voice entered her ears, one that seemed vaguely familiar. One that gave off warmth and love. When she craned her neck to look at him, she immediately felt her emotions fall out of control.

This is where you're expecting the inevitable Alphonse-lookalike appearance, right? Wrong.

"Hughes?!" Eden gasped, quickly standing up to face the man.

"Ah, ah, ah…" he smiled lightly and pointed down to the crowd. "All I have to do is say the word," he warned; still retaining the passive-aggressive kinda orders. "Now, would you care to dance?"

"I-I…" Eden wasn't prepared for this, sweat beginning to appearing on her forehead. Soon, Hughes simply got her into the position for a platonic slow dance.

"You look lovely, Eden, even after what happened," he commented. Just his mentioning of his betrayal was enough for Eden to snap out of her daze.

"What the hell are you doing here, Hughes?" she demanded, a deep-rooted scowl directed at her dancing partner.

"I became a well-ranked officer after I revealed you and your crusade, and this is a ball for officers and friends of them, so here I am. I'm more wondering why you're here, and with Colonel Mustang of all people."

"You were watching us?"

"I was watching the entrance," he corrected. "Contrary to your belief, you aren't the center of my world anymore. And, also contrary to your belief, I still care about you. So, how've you been handling yourself?"

"I...y-you…" Eden inwardly sighed, giving up trying to argue. "I've been fine, making headway."

"Oh yes, I know about that," Hughes chuckled.

" _Then why'd you ask?"_ Eden wondered to herself.

"Yes, you've been causing a lot of trouble for us here in Central," he stated. "Lots of extra paperwork for an officer like me. Really does dampen the time with the family when you're behind a desk all of the time, let me tell you?"

"Wait...you gave up being an officer in the military, didn't you?"

"Well, after the closest thing I had to a daughter at the time turned out to be using the magic I despised, I figured I would pick the lesser of two evils," Hughes explained. "Besides, being in the military isn't so bad, so long as I don't have to deal with any of those bastard Alchemists, and it gives me the pay I need to provide for my family. See, after you and Wes left, Gracia and I...we decided to have a child," Hughes showed Eden to the edge of the balcony, where he pointed out Gracia, holding a little girl, no older than perhaps two.

Eden turned to him, examining him a bit closer. Hughes was smiling contently, sure, but there was something else; his eyes. His eyes were tired and shrouded in melancholy, as if...guilty…

"Hughes...why do you-"

"Ed, try and focus," Ling said through the earpiece, bringing her back to reality.

"Hm? Eden, were you about to ask me something?" Hughes wondered.

"I-I…"

"Lieutenant Colonel," Hawkeye suddenly materialized, her voice strangely friendly. "I expected you to be here, but I didn't expect you to be standing up here by yourself!" she took his attention away from Eden, allowing her to slip away to the exit.

"By my…" Hughes did a double take, seeing that Eden had seemingly vanished. "But wasn't Eden…"

"Eden? Lieutenant, I only brought my weapons mechanic as my guest, Eden isn't here," Hawkeye lied. "You look tired; you might've been seeing things," she offered.

"Seeing things?"

"Here, maybe a quiet dance will clear your head, " she out his hands on her hips, and they began dancing.

Eden, however, had made her way toward the deeper part of the Central Library; Branch A. It was the military's darkest secrets, so if the Homunculi, or any Alchemist who researched them, we're on their side, the books should be there.

"Alright, I'm in," she relayed. "Now…who should I look up?" Eden sweat dropped. "Great job, Fullmetal. Go into a library with no reference point…" she moaned to herself. "Right…ah! Maybe Dante. Early Alchemist, known for her human transmutations and soul transfers, or, you know, attempts at them," she looked up the name of the woman, soon finding a few containing her research notes.

"What are you doing?" Hughes questioned, walking up to her.

"U-uh…" Eden tried to think of an excuse. "You're tired, Hughes. I'm not even really-"

"Colonel Mustang tried that already; she called you by name, and knew who I was talking about, even though I never described you to her."

"So, what'd you do to her? You didn't shoot her, did you?" Eden wondered.

"I threatened to expose her treachery by aligning herself with you. She relinquished your location after that."

"And what's to stop me from gutting you right now."

"Not much. I really wouldn't blame you either. But could really go through with separating another family?" Hughes wondered.

Eden turned away, not having an argument against that without sounding like the killer that Amestris thought she was. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not here for plans or bases or anything."

"Then what are you here to research?"

Before Eden could explain, the bookcase in front of them sliced itself in two. Both of them whirled around to face whatever enemy had done so, with Hughes drawing a gun, aiming it at their assailant. However, who they saw was no one but a little girl, no older than six. Hughes breathed a sigh of relief. "You startled us, dear. Sorry if I scared you."

"Hughes…" Eden warned, having a peculiar feeling that this wasn't just a little girl. Speaking of, the girl turned to the blonde.

"Eden Elric, your meddling ends here," she said, her voice surprising cute, and yet eerily monotonous. She lifted her hand and several distortions appeared in the air behind her.

"Hughes, get down!" Eden dove into the man, knocking him just out of the way before another invisible slice could cut them in two. In a ft reaction, Hughes pulled a gun on the girl and shot her several times. She fell, seemingly dead, though soon red lightning sparked, the bullet holes closed themselves, and the girl stood up again.

"What the hell is she?"

"I think...she's the thing I'm researching," Eden replied.

"Yeah, but what-" they were interrupted as the girl retaliated, with the two of them diving just barely out of the way again, making a break for an exit. "What the hell is she?!" Hughes repeated.

The two ducked behind bookshelf. "She's a Homunculus; they Alchemically created people with really weird powers. Got that?"

"Jeez, I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it…" Hughes mentioned before the girl found them. They just barely ducked in time for her horizontal swipe. Eden quickly clapped her hand and slammed them into the ground, creating a pillar headed straight for the girl's face, only for it to be cleaved in two before it made contact.

After dodging another invisible swipe, believing herself to be extremely lucky to do so, she clapped her hands again, though this time, she was shoved aside before she could react, only seeing the trail of red lightning afterwards.

The blur ran up to the girl, and stopped next to her, the Alphonse lookalike facing Eden down with her. "You were ordered to recover, Sloth," the girl said, her voice refusing to show anger in any way.

"I couldn't help it," Sloth returned. "Besides, Wrath, you're the one who hasn't hit this human even once."

Wrath paused before responding, doing so by shooting one of her distortions straight for Eden. Eden held her Automail up to it, with it piercing the metal and getting stuck. Frustrated, Wrath flung Eden into a shelf with the distortions, freeing her...what were they?

They looked to be invisible blades, Eden judged from the hole it left in her Automail. Hughes dove into Eden and got her out of the way of another strike, this one being lethal.

The two made a break for it. "Okay, here's the plan. Eden, run with your books. Find a way to beat these things for your next encounter," Hughes ordered.

"How do you know I'll have a next encounter?"

"Because you're reckless. Besides, they seem to have in interest in you. They'll probably seek you out anyway."

"Fine," Eden conceded that. "What about you?"

"I didn't think you cared," the man chuckled. "Me, though? I'm gonna lead that monster away from you."

The two stopped at a crossroads. "If you say so," Eden said, turning away from him and slipping off her heels so that she could run more easily. "And Hughes…? Be careful," she dashed off.

Wrath and Sloth were following lazily. "The girl is mine," Sloth said.

"Fine, if you insist. I'll deal with the outsider," Wrath replied. Sloth nodded at that, and then began running after Eden, making the turn that she did when he came to the crossroads.

Eden's heart was pounding, not having been prepared for that new Homunculus. "Damn it! How many of those bastards are there?" she growled. "Hawkeye, Wes, I'm out with the books. Hurry and meet me back at the train!" she said into the earpiece. "Ling, one of the Homunculi is after me. I'm gonna need backup!"

Ling stood. "Right, I'll be right there," the Xingese Prince broke into a run himself, leaping from rooftop to rooftop to reach Eden, though soon, he was stopped as well.

"Hey there, meatbag!" a man stepped out from the shadows, blocking Ling's path, along with about six other, glowing, soldiers. Lust had a smirk on his face.

"Don't get in my way, Homunculus," Ling warned. "One of your lackeys is hunting my friend, and I need to hurry and get over there."

"See, I don't think I want you helping the Fullmetal Jailbait. Because when we catch her," Lust licked his lips. "Mmm...I can assure her much pleasure…"

Ling raised his blade. "You bastard…"

Lust chuckled at Ling's attempt at threatening him, snapping his fingers and making the undead soldiers to rush Ling all at once, smashing him into the wall before he could fight back.

"Gah!" he cried out from the impact.

"Ling!" Rose heard the impact in her earpiece, still in her position form the train. However, with everyone else occupied with a threat greater than themselves, it seemed she had no choice but to join in the fight.

Rose exited the train, but only got a few steps before she herself was engaged. He was an older man, sporting four stars on the shoulders of his uniform. "Do you want to know something funny?" he drew his blade. "I still prefer hunting you dissidents more than attending those droll parties," Rose recognized him.

"Fuhrer Bradley…"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Real quick, there was an homage in this chapter; when Hughes wakes up to Eden at the ball, I based it off the picture of Mirajane Strauss from Fairy Tail by deviantart user; KhalilXPirates. Just replace white hair and blue eyes with blonde hair and amber eyes.**

 **With that out of the way, thank you guys so much for reading! This is the start of a _real_ two-parter, as I so stupidly labelled my last four-parter in Lior. Numbers are hard, you know?**

 **It would mean the world if you'd review too! Share your thoughts; it always helps us writers to improve, and I've been trying to pay more attention to detail with the stupid little mistakes in names or phone-autcorrect mistakes, so please leave your thoughts down below!**


	12. 9 Operation: Blitz Raid Pt 2

Eden was panting, her heart pounding as she heard the lightning spark from Sloth's every step, before they eventually culminated and her getting flung about twenty feet forward, tattering bits of her dress and getting her bruises and scrapes left and right.

Still, Eden pressed on, trying to find her way back to the horse she rode in on, so to speak. Finally, Eden saw a sign saying that she was close, but, as if on cue, Sloth run up next to her, trailing parallel for a moment. "Going somewhere, human?" he wondered rhetorically before quickly shoving her to the ground and then, using his speed, swinging her into an alleyway.

Trying to catch her breath, Eden stood once again, seeing the train in sight, and rushing to it. Sloth followed close behind, but Eden was fast enough to close the doors on him. She quickly hid the books before dropping to her knees. Her feet hurt like hell from the rough ground, and her ribs felt like jelly from the impacts she took. Outside, Eden saw Sloth running up and down the train, his lightning whizzing past at a million miles an hour. "Rose!" Eden eventually called out. "Rose?"

Hearing no sign of her, she listened in on the earpiece, but only heard static. There was nothing from Hawkeye, Ling, Wes, or Rose, which meant they were all in trouble.

Once again looking out at the red lightning, Eden chose to deal with this Homunculus, hoping that the others could fair on their own. She clapped her hands and made a hole in the floor big in enough to crawl out of, where she made her escape, with Sloth hot on her heels. " _I can hide in the sewers,"_ she thought, ducking into an alleyway with a nearby pothole, Sloth following close behind.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Ling was tossed every which way during his brawl with the undead soldiers. Even still, with all of the grenades he'd used, he wasn't making a dent in their numbers. Meanwhile, Lust was sitting on a railing, spawning new soldiers it was nothing. "Damn, it just never ends!" Ling exclaimed.

"That's the idea, meatbag," Lust replied, before raising his hand and forcing the undead to cease their assault on the Xingese Prince. "But it doesn't have to be."

"What are you talking about?" Ling demanded.

Lust hopped off his railing. "See, we're actually down a number, if you hadn't noticed."

"From my experience you're missing more than one."

"All the same; what do you say? You wanna be turned into a Homunculus?" Lust inquired. "This way, you can have all the power you want. You could live in eternal luxury with your power and title. What do you say?" Lust offered his hand to take. Ling hesitated. "Be careful though: this is a one-time offer."

"I-I…"

"Ling!" Rose's voice brought him back to reality. She soon came bursting out of the shadows, with Ling catching her to keep her from harm. "Ling, we need to run. There's _another_ Homunculus after me and…" she trailed off as saw Lust. "No, it can't be…" she took a few steps toward him. He gave an apathetic look to her.

"Eh? What the hell are you on about?" the Homunculus wondered.

Rose was standing face to face with the man, raising her hand to his cheek with tears streaming from her eyes. "I _knew_ I could bring you back my beloved. I knew you'd never leave me…Kain…"

Lust flinched at the name, a scowl planting itself on his face before he slapped her across the face. The suddenness of the blow coupled with the Homunculus' unnatural strength was enough to knock the girl out cold. "The name's Lust, you filthy whore," Lust said apathetically as she fell.

"Rose!" Ling rushed to her side.

"Ah, thank you, Lust," the man who'd been chasing Rose walked up to them. "I'd been following _that_ one from back at the train station."

"No problem, _Fuhrer,_ " Lust mocked the man's title. The Fuhrer ignored the slight mockery, retaining his regal composure as he spoke.

"Go deal with Wrath; I'd imagine she'll get carried away."

"Yeah, she definitely _would_ kill Fullmetal, wouldn't she?"

"Actually, plans have changed. Lust, you'll be going to the ball. I'll finish up here."

Though confused, Lust soon nodded in agreement and then left. Ling hoisted the unconscious Rose onto his shoulder and used his free hand to point his blade at the Fuhrer. "So, you're the leader of this country?" Ling questioned. "Fuhrer King Bradley, right?"

"That's correct, and you're one of Fullmetal's lackeys that we have to deal with," the man replied coldly.

"Don't take me for a common sellsword, Fuhrer. You're looking at the future Emperor of Xing!" Ling exclaimed.

Bradley smiled. "That's adorable; the boy wishes to play king," the Fuhrer mocked as he drew his own blades. "Let's rid you of that foolish idealism _right now_!" the old man dashed toward the Xingese Prince, and the two exchanged a rough clash of weapons, with Ling having to be on the defensive from carrying Rose. Taking note of the man's missing eye, Ling attempted to stay in his blind spot.

Seeing that, despite being in the blind spot, Ling still couldn't shake the Fuhrer's offensive, Ling realized that something was amiss. Even the Fuhrer began to notice Ling's frustration and confusion.

"You know, I often find it odd how much goes over you humans' heads," the Fuhrer said mockingly, removing his eyepatch and showing his left eye, which bore the Ouroborus.

"The Fuhrer is a Homunculus?"

"That's right. I'm sure that now you realize the futility of your actions."

"You bastard!" Ling raised his blade. "This only makes me want to kill you _more!_ " Ling dashed forward and clashed with the older man.

"Oh? And what hope does someone like you have of killing a superior race?!" the Fuhrer pushed Ling back and cut a deep gash across his stomach and a more mild one on his forehead. Ling dropped to one knee.

"A superior race? You're this country's leader; you of all people should think yourself _less_ than his people!" Ling argued, getting back onto his feet.

"You argue that the embodiment of Pride should humble himself?" the Fuhrer chuckled. "Well...I suppose if you must force it on me…" the two prepared to clash once again.

xXx

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xXx

Hughes, after separating from Eden, had fled from the Homunculus Wrath, steadily leading her to a place where he could gain an advantage in numbers. He didn't know how to kill that monster, but he knew that shooting her would at least stun her for a while. And so, he returned to the ballroom, where hundreds of armed military officers were dancing carelessly, but not for long.

Hawkeye and Wes, both still at the ball, hadn't heard from Eden since she entered the library. After a while, the only thing they could suspect was that she was in trouble, and her earpiece was broken somehow. Their suspicions turned out to be true, as Lieutenant Colonel Hughes came rushing down with slash marks appearing on the walls behind him, the marks coming from seemingly nothing, as a little girl descended the stairs with a jaded look to her. Her long brown hair was pulled back into two braids and her deep blue eyes were clouded in darkness, as if in a trance.

Wes and Hawkeye exchanged a glance as carnage ensued, with all of the military officers scrambling to get their guests out of the building, making a clump that allowed no one access to the outside. The two met with each other. "Another Homunculus?" Hawkeye guessed.

"I'd say so," Wes said in response. "Now, what to do?"

"I'll tell you," Hawkeye pulled out a pistol. "I'm going to hold this thing off. You're going to get out of here."

"Where...did you pull that from?" Wes asked.

"A smart woman keeps a weapon on her person," was Hawkeye's only response.

"Gracia!" Hughes called in the chaos.

"Maes!" the woman called back, the two meeting up with Elicia in her mother's arms. "Maes, what's going on?"

"There's no time to explain. Come on, there's a back exit. We need to get you two out of here!" the man ushered his wife to a back exit. However, before they could make it, a slice came down in front of the door.

"I don't think you should leave yet. The fun is only beginning. You should play with me some more," Wrath said to them, only to having several bullets go through. Hawkeye ran up to them, with Wes close behind.

"Hurry, we need to go!" she yelled at them, with all five of them rushing out of the building. They ran and ran, and, no matter how slowly the girl seemed to catch up, she always did, and each time her strikes became more precise.

"This is getting us nowhere," Hawkeye said.

"Maes, what was that?" Gracia demanded.

"Nothing good," Hughes answered. "Other than that, I haven't the faintest idea," he admitted.

"It's a Homunculus," Wes said briefly. "It's an artificially created human."

"Right, but what about-"

"Let's explain everything later, when we're all out of this mess," Hawkeye brought them all back to the task at hand. "The train we're leaving on it just a few blocks away. We need to get there and hope that the others made it back before us," Hawkeye said. "Let's move."

And so, they quintet weaved their way through the mass of people still fleeing form the scene, before ducking in the alleyways to move faster. However, it turned out to be a horrible idea. Wrath caught up to them yet again, cutting them off. "Other way!" Hughes called, ushering everyone down the opposite path before he was cut off from them.

"Maes!" Gracia called.

"Go! I'll catch up!" Hughes ran the other way, now that the path was open. Wrath followed him.

"Maes! No!" Gracia called.

Wes grabbed the woman's arm to keep her from going after him. "Wait, you can't. He's trying to buy us time, don't you see that?"

"No! I won't leave him!" Gracia wrestled free and took off after them.

Hawkeye and Wes exchanged an exasperated glance. "You go to the train," Hawkeye said to him.

"You'd better make it back in one piece, Colonel," the man said in response before they each took off on their separate ways.

Wrath chased Hughes through many an alleyway. At first, she was simply playing with him, as she would her dog doll, but as she began to get closer and closer, he only got farther and farther away from her strikes, frustrating her beyond belief. Or at least it would, if she had the capacity to feel frustration.

Hughes was eventually cornered by two of Wrath's invisible blades, seeing the distortions rise behind her, poised to strike. Hughes whipped out his handgun and shot several times, though they were all stopped by the unseeable appendages. "I truly hope you don't think that you could shoot me twice?" the little girl asked monotonously.

"Jeez, to be killed by a small child; the only thing sadder would be if I were killed by my own wife…" Hughes lamented, a desperate smirk across his face.

"Maes!" Gracia called his name, running into the dead end alleyway.

"Gracia?!" Hughes looked dumbfounded, seeing the events about to transpire before they actually did. "Gracia! Stay back!"

It seemed as if time stopped for Maes Hughes, as he saw Wrath turn around only slightly and, without moving a muscle, cleaved Gracia's and Elicia's body into pieces, shredder like paper. They fell in a pool of their own blood. Hughes didn't register his screams of agony, or how he unloaded his remaining ammunition at Wrath in pure unadulterated rage.

Wrath blocked all of the bullets with her distortions, about to finish Hughes off, ironically putting him out of his misery and anguish, but she was stopped.

A man sporting seemingly glowing purple eyes, Lust as it turned out, stopped her. "We have orders to return," Lust said quietly. "Leave the officer," he said. Wrath gave Hughes a look of apathy before walking away. Lust turned to Hughes. "It's be best if you forgot what you saw tonight, officer. Or better yet, just leave the country; head for Xing or Creta. I hear the women are fine in both, given that you're in need of one now," he mocked before taking his leave.

Hughes remained there, dumbfounded, for minutes before Hawkeye showed up and urged him to his feet. The two returned to the train, where Wes was waiting alone. Seeing no immediate threat, the three, or rather just Wes and Hawkeye, decided to stay and wait for the others.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Eden wouldn't be able to return anytime soon, as she was still getting knocked around left and right by Sloth in the sewers. Even through the beatings, Eden tried to think of a way to beat the bastard.

"You should give up while you can!" Sloth mocked her. "I don't care what kind of magic you know about, you'll never be able to catch me!" he claimed, running past and nailing her in the stomach and sending her flying ten feet down the hall. Eden stood once again, only having one idea after all of this time. She clapped her hands, pressed them to the metal pipe, and broke off a piece with a sharp point, beginning to inscribe onto the back of her Automail hand. Eden, earlier, had witnessed an incomplete transmutation circle on Hawkeye's letter; the theoretical circle for Flame Alchemy. She drew it and hope that, after using its incomplete form, would be able to finish it using alchemical theory and principles.

It was a one-in-a-thousand chance, but it was her only option, as she was running out of stamina, and fast. She heard the lightning spark from down the hall as she finished, having to test out her theory immediately.

As Sloth came into view, Eden scraped the metal of the pipe against her Automail, with the sparks and the transmutation circle working in tandem. However, instead of the sparks travelling and then exploding into a ball of fire like they were supposed to, it just sparked a flame all around Eden. She managed to leapt back and put it out, mainly on her arm, but that didn't mean she didn't now have third-degree burns from it. Sloth stopped just short of the flames that erupted. "Is this a joke?" he wondered before running right through them and tossing Eden aside like he had the previous times.

Eden landed, apparently, on an unstable part of the floor, as it collapsed underneath her weight, dropping her down to an area that hadn't been used for decades. Wild rats and small lizards ran from her, but one didn't. As Eden propped herself up on her elbows, she saw eye to eye with a lizard on a pipe, slimy and sleek; four toes in front, five in back: it was a salamander.

And that's when it hit Eden; this image which was burned into her mind for research purposes had given her two ways to combat Sloth. Almost immediately upon having the realization, she etched her discovery into the transmutation circle. She just barely finished before Sloth found her hole, ran down, picked her up, ran back out, and then threw her against the wall. Eden recovered quickly, her energy restored.

"When are you just gonna stay down?" Sloth wondered. "I don't have all day."

"I think you're the one that needs to slow down!" Eden retorted. She heard the Homunculus coming from the cracks of his lightning, and she clapped her hands, pressed them to the pipe, and ran past. As Sloth came by the pipe burst; Eden's transmutation heated up the water to the point where it could explode, which is what it did, sending out a jet of scalding water at the Homunculus.

"Gah!" his skin was smoking as it struggled to recover itself from the damage. "You bitch!" he called.

"What's wrong?" Eden mocked him, performing an identical transmutation on several more pipes, to very degrees to allow for timed bursts. Sloth, as he struggled to catch up, was blasted again and again. Eventually, Sloth was forced to push himself. As Eden's pipes exploded, Sloth acted fast and twisted around, going faster than he ever had.

"The same trick can only work so many times!" Sloth yelled as he pounded Eden yet again, this time pushing her against the wall and pummeling her repeatedly. He then gripped around her throat, beginning to squeeze. In her eyes he saw a mix of fear and betrayal. The image brought out a vision to Sloth's head. It was Eden, getting closer as if he were running toward her, with a line of soldiers ready to fire at her. She wore the same expression she had now.

Sloth reared back, holding his head. "Got you!" Eden yelled as she kicked him away, taking back control of the fight. She scraped her Automail again with the pipe, creating a spark. The transmutation circle glowed and the spark travelled directly toward him as she manipulated the air around them, with Sloth being caught directly in the center of the blast that she made erupt around him. He cried out in pain, the loudness of the noise hurting Eden's ears. As the explosion ceased, Sloth struggled to stand.

"What the hell is that? A minute before it backfired on you!" he claimed before Eden shot another blast at him.

"I figured out what was missing from the transmutation circle. It was pretty obviously, really. In old Alchemical teachings, the salamander was meant to represent mastery over fire, being able to cloak itself in flames without suffering in the slightest. It was able to control the fire, and with it in the circle, as am I!" Eden shot explosion after explosion at the Homunculus, until he didn't even try and get up anymore. He just stayed on his knees, screaming in agony as Eden pelted him with explosions, and even then, after a while Eden didn't even register his screams.

Part of why she went on so long was to alleviate her own anger at his appearance, for seemingly mocking everything her brother meant to her. Part of it was anger at how badly Sloth and the rest of the Homunculi had dominated and thrashed her at every encounter they had, basically shitting on her goals of overthrowing the Amestrian government, with them at the Fuhrer's beck-and-call.

Eventually Eden stopped. She was panting from the exertion, pouring all of her emotions and anguish and built-up guilt over Alphonse's death and her inability to save him into the blasts. When it stopped, no matter how much she tried to fill it with rage, the void of her brother's death remained.

Sloth was still on his knees; he knew that he had lost and was waiting for whatever Eden was going to do to him. "Well? What are you waiting for? Keep going, I know you want to," Sloth goaded her on.

"...No," Eden stated, her eyes dull and melancholic. It was as if all of the rage that had consumed her in that moment had recede, and was replaced with despondency. "I'm done fighting you," she relaxed her muscles and gripped her burned and sprained arm. "There's no reason to keep fighting you. But you'll remember this day, Homunculus, as the day when a _human_ , with nothing but her wits and the knowledge of Alchemy, beat you into submission without so much as having to take a step toward you."

"..."

Eden kneeled down in front of him, raising her Automail to his cheek, and, for that moment, they interacted on the same wavelength. "I truly don't know if you're Alphonse, but I'll hold out hope that there's some of him left in that hollow body of yours…" she said intimately before standing. "In my hands the strength, in my heart the courage-"

"In my soul the drive," Sloth finished the phrase involuntarily. His eyes widened, as if something was happening to him, but Eden couldn't see anything as she looked at him, confused. Still, she knew she couldn't dwell.

"See you around, Homunculus," she began walking away. "Maybe next time, you won't so quick to fight me."

Eden made her way out of the sewers fairly easily, and made it back to the train without much trouble. It appeared that, despite the explosions underground, the city remained quiet, save for the chaos that happened with Wrath at the ball. She entered the train to find everyone but Rose and Ling inside, even Hughes, who looked quite shaken. It was look familiar to Eden, as it was one she wore when Alphonse died. She decided not to ask what happened, only sitting next to Wes, the four of the waiting in silence for Ling and Rose.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Ling used his last grenade to escape from the Fuhrer's sight, using the smoke it created flee. However, even for running away from an old man, he caught up and cut him off. "You know, you might have an easier time running away like a rat if you'd just drop the baggage," the old man commented.

"Baggage? Rose is my _friend_!" Ling argued. "I'll never just drop her to save myself!"

"So instead of at least one of you having a chance to live, you're dooming the both of you?" the Fuhrer wondered. "Very well, then allow me to be your headsman!" the Homunculus dashed forward and knocked Ling back into the wall, stabbing into it. Ling just dodged the stab at his face before he kicked the Fuhrer away, throwing his sword at him to keep him off balance, grabbing the Fuhrer's sword from the wall, and running once again.

Ling finally saw the train come into view, seeing that everyone else was there. He raced for the open door as fast as he could, and even then, the Fuhrer dropped between Ling and the train. "You didn't think I'd let a rat like you escape that easily?" he wondered.

Ling expected to have to fight his way through, knowing he'd almost certainly be even more heavily wounded than he already was and possibly even die, but thankfully, he didn't have to. Eden, who was inside the train, managed to transmute a pill to propel the Fuhrer above and past Ling, allowing him entry into the train. As soon as he hit its floors, the door slammed shut and the train took off. At first, the Fuhrer gave chase and, as soldiers appeared, they came under fire. But soon, even that ceased.

The group all made it out alive, though Hughes had lost the two most important people in his life in the process. The books had survived, thankfully, making Operation: Blitz Raid a success.

But then, in the midst of damage, fatigue, and despair, why didn't Eden feel the triumph of victory?

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Thank you all so much for reading!**

 **Hey! I know; why don't you guys leave a review? Review as there so that I can improve myself as a writer, and are _always_ appreciated, no matter how short or long they may be. If you could leave one, that'd be awesome!**


	13. 10 Clarion Call

Eden's group fled back to Resembool after Operation: Blitz Raid, hiding out in Eden's old home. The group mostly spent the time resting, as all parties involved were badly damaged in some way. Ling was nearly bed-ridden, though he refused to admit it, Eden had a casted arm and bandages tightly wound around her entire midsection, Rose's thoughts were still clouded from her encounter with Lust, and Hughes… he was damaged in an entirely different way. Hawkeye had returned to her post, merely reporting that she had aided Officer Hughes in escaping with his family after 'the monster' had attacked.

When Eden had asked Hughes about why he didn't just run away, like Lust had suggested, he only gave her sad eyes and a half-hearted smile saying it was "the lesser of two evils, I suppose," before wandering off to hide in the room they provided for him.

And so, over the course of about a week, Eden read and re-read each of the books she'd...borrowed, from Central Library, before eventually coming to a shocking realization. "These _still_ don't tell me how to kill the bastards!" she exclaimed one day, throwing the book away and running her hand through her hair, which was moist from the humidity of the day.

"Really?" Wes wondered, only half paying attention as he tinkered with a prototype Automail leg. Eden let out an exhausted breath, her mouth hanging open as if she were a dog.

"And it's _so hot…_ " she complained.

"Oh, the horror," Wes replied, deadpan. He stood and retrieved a rag, which he soaked in ice-cold water before throwing to her. She held it over her face for a moment before draping it over her hair.

"Hey, where's Ling? He's usually entertaining," Eden commented.

"I think he's outside. Usually he just sits there watching, thinking, so you can probably-" before he could finished, they both heard a loud commotion outside. The two burst outside, Eden slower than Wes because of her injuries, only to see Ling crouched like an animal over someone else. Sloth's amber eyes became visible after he recovered from the initial impact of Ling tackling him. "You can probably find him attacking a Homunculus," Wes finished.

Sloth glared at Eden. "You should really keep your Xingese Watchdog on a leash," he growled.

The comment actually brought a smile to Eden's face. It wasn't exactly Alphonse's kind of humor, but any mockery of Ling brought happiness to Eden. "It's okay, Ling," she assured.

"You serious?"

"Till I die," Eden insisted. Slowly, Ling stood. He climbed onto the roof while Wes reentered the house. Eden offered a hand, but Sloth refused it, standing and clearing his throat. "What? Nervous in front of a pretty girl?"

Sloth shot her a dirty look before clearing his throat again, and showing her his hand, which was carrying a bag. "I brought takeout," he said bashfully.

A while later, Eden was halfway through her meal, not having had a decent one since before the ball. The two were currently sitting on the front porch, where there was a small table with two chairs for them. "So, Homunculus, you gonna tell me why you came here? I'm sure it wasn't just to give me free food."

"..." Sloth turned away.

"Well, if you aren't gonna talk, then you could just watch me stuff my face. Can't say if it'd be fun for you though, Al."

"I'm _not_ Alphonse Elric," Sloth clarified. "Let me make that clear _right now_."

"Right, I know," Eden said, sobering up a bit. "So, Sloth, from my perspective, you came here for one of two reasons. One: you came in an attempt to kidnap me so that you and your Homunculus buddies can go ham and make me suffer, or two-"

"I left the other Homunculi," Sloth interrupted.

Eden let her mouth hang again, this time a piece a food dropped from it. "You're kidding…"

"No, I'm not."

"But...why?"

"Because...of you…"

"Um…" Eden didn't quite know how to respond to that, especially coming from someone who wasn't even human and looked exactly like her little brother.

"Don't take this the wrong way; ever since I met you, I've had these feelings; feelings that I shouldn't be having. I've been having this vision as well. In the vision, I'm running toward you, as a line of soldiers is about to shoot you."

Eden's eyes widened as a wave a sadness washed over her. "That'd be the morning you died, or, when Alphonse did. He tried to protect me," Eden explained. "So, maybe you have a bit of Al inside you after all?"

"Don't get your hopes up, human," Sloth lowered his eyes into a scowl. "Even you just associating me with that pathetic trash is insulting."

Eden glared at the Homunculus.

"And don't think that this is an act of friendship," he continued, crossing his arms. "This is merely a clarion call for you, as I know that those books you went to such trouble securing have knowledge that's been outdated since the modern Homunculus, as you know it, was created."

"Like how to kill you?" Eden wondered.

"Among other things," he answered. "Do you have any qualms?"

"None," Eden answered. "But if I find out that you're tricking us, then I'm going to burn you even worse than before, understand?"

"Tch, as if I'd give you the chance," Sloth exclaimed. "We'll start at the beginning, the first homunculus created is the one you know as Fuhrer Bradley. He was our leader, and a damn good one. He'd never back down from the field, like some leaders might, and is unparalleled in sword combat. Nobody can touch him because of his Ultima Eye; even I can't land a single hit on him, and I'm faster than a speeding bullet."

"So he's unbeatable?"

Sloth ignored the question and continued on. "The one from the church, Lust; long dark hair, glowing purple eyes, and baggy clothing."

"I remember," Eden said.

"He has the ability to raise the dead, or so it would seem. He summons apparitions or spirits which he gives physical form. In other words, he's our Ultimate Army. It may break your laws, but his power is based on creation like your Alchemy, correct?"

"Then there has to be a price; each soldier has to take at least a little bit of his own energy, right?"

"You mean even though we have nearly limitless energy? Sure," Sloth waved off the idea. "Anyway, the other church-goer; messy black hair, focused eyes, commanding voice with a deep tone."

"Greed," Eden said. "He shot a water jet at me, a lot," Eden said, holding her side where the jet had collided initially.

"Right. He can summon and control water. He has the capability to do far more than shoot a small jet at you. The Fuhrer only deploys the Ultimate Disaster when there isn't much to lose in the crossfire, should things go south at any point."

"Like in Lior? There weren't many people still living there, so the Fuhrer wouldn't have cared, right? Is that _really_ how he thinks?"

"Afraid so, human."

"Would you stop calling me that?" Eden said impatiently.

"Fine, _Fullmetal_."

"That's better, _Clarion_ ," Eden returned. Sloth shot her a look. "What? You _are_ my clarion call, right?"

"Whatever. I suppose next would be Wrath. She's the little girl that you met in Central."

"Invisible blades?"

"Invisible blades," Sloth confirmed. "She's known as the Ultimate Blade, as it would turn out. What's a better sword than one the enemy can't see coming, right?"

"Yeah, but she's different from you," Eden argued.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you at least pretend to have feelings, even if you might not be able to. She's just...static. It's unnerving," Eden shivered and put her head down. "To live like that...it would be unbearable."

"Then you'll be happy to know that she doesn't live," Sloth said back. "She spends her time playing with her little dog doll until each assignment, where she completely annihilates her target without so much as blinking."

"I could tell. I'm surprised she missed us the first time she attacked."

"Sometimes she likes to let her prey run before she finishes them off," Sloth clarified. "This time, it just happened to backfire on her."

Eden nodded. "That just leaves you, Sloth, the Homunculus made from Alphonse Elric's template," she said.

"I'm known as the Ultimate Bullet and I have the ability to run as fast as I push myself. Most times just over five hundred miles per hour is enough to make it to any place within minutes, though sometimes I slow down, like when I was running alongside Colonel Mustang's hijacked train."

"Speaking of, when she shot you, you didn't stop."

"When I run, I have to consciously stop. If I get shot, my legs keep moving as if it were natural. It's to ensure I get away from whatever could kill me, so long as whatever hits me doesn't stop me dead from its impact."

"Like my explosions," Eden offered an example.

"Right. Now that you know what each of us do, I'm sure you can figure out ways to beat the others," Sloth said.

"That's great and all, but you're missing two," Eden mentioned. "Your names are based on the seven deadly sins, and you only listed five of them."

"Right, well…" Sloth lowered his head to think. "One of them, Gluttony, was killed a long time ago, before I was made. As for Envy, they haven't been seen in a long time either. No one killed them so they're probably still alive, though only Pride knows where they are. He didn't tell the rest of us," Sloth stood. "Anyway, I've got to get going. I'm through with this godforsaken country and its secrets."

"W-wait!" Eden grabbed his arm. "You still haven't told me how to kill a Homunculus."

"Because I don't know how," Sloth admitted. "It's not something Pride thought would be useful."

"But what if you came across the thing that could kill you?"

"Before you came along, there wasn't anyone that could touch us," Sloth said, pulling away gently. "That's one thing you've done, in these years of endless fighting; you're scared the other Homunculi. Consider it an honor," Sloth said. "Listen, this may be a long shot, but I heard Lust and Greed talking about someone named the Mirror's Edge up north near Briggs. She supposedly knows everything there is to know about Homunculi. Maybe you should check there," Sloth offered.

Eden smiled. "Right, got it. See ya later, Clarion!" Eden shot a grin, trying so hard to suppress the feeling of saying goodbye to that face once again. Sloth turned to leave, but Eden gripped around him in a hug.

"W-what are you doing?" he demanded.

"Just...pretend for a minute? I've been waiting for three years…" Eden said quietly, a few tears dripping. For just these few seconds Alphonse was back by her side. Nothing more needed to be said. "...Thank you…" Eden said as she let go. Sloth turned around slightly, his cheeks a bit pink.

"...Anytime," he said bashfully before speeding off in a blur of red lightning.

Even as he sped off, Sloth felt a...well, he would call it a premonition. It wasn't exactly a vision, but more of a gut feeling; something bad was going to happen at Briggs. Sloth shook his head as he ran. "No...she scared the Homunculi; she can handle herself," he assured himself, though even then, the feeling remained.

Little did Eden know that there were watchful eyes and careful ears eavesdropping while she and Sloth had spoken. The figure listening from the darkness smirked. "How intriguing...often before have the Homunculi regained their morality, but always has it been self-destructive almost immediately, and yet with the Little Human Sloth, he seems to almost enjoy having even a single person by his side, despite his hesitation," he said to himself, no one else hearing his babbling. "Is it a sign that she's the one, that she could trigger a restart of the soul? I wonder, I wonder…"

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! Sorry about the shorter chapter this time around; I just needed to get a roll call going to explain exactly what each Homunculus did just so that no one got confused, as I've been told it was before. Hopefully this cleared things up!**

 **Anyway, I can no longer promise frequent updates anymore, as the rest of this story is completely uncharted territory. I'll definitely need to re-watch Brotherhood's Briggs episodes before I write the next part, that's for sure.**

 **Other than that little update, why don't you guys shoot me a review? It truly does mean a lot to me, you know?**


	14. 11 Preparations

It only took a few moments for Eden to make the executive decision of going to Briggs alone. "You can't be serious!" was Wes' first response, clearly appalled by the idea. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is up there? Not only because of the temperature, which I'll already have to make new Automail for, but because of the massive military dictatorship that lies in the northern area of Amestris? Not even the riots have spread up to Briggs, when they've ravaged this entire country otherwise."

"Yeah, I know…" Eden replied, stripping down to her tube-top so Wes could remove her Automail, flinching as it passed her human arm.

"Not only that, but you're still so injured that you can barely make it to the store," he poked her bad arm, making her flinch. She pushed him away with her Automail.

"You know, sometimes your coddling is really annoying!" the blonde argued back. "I've been doing this kind of thing for years!" she reminded him.

"And every time it ends like this," he gestured to her injuries. "And with all of these Homunculi hunting you down, I'm surprised you've made it through the month!"

"I can take care of myself!"

"No, it's my Automail that's taking care of you," Wes corrected.

Eden smirked. "Then you'd better get to work on the best damn snow-fitted Automail you've ever made!" she left the room.

"Oh no you don't; we aren't done here, you spaz!" Wes followed her.

Ling groaned as he listened to the two bickering, so much so that he bashed on the ceiling he was sitting on repeatedly. "Just get a room already!" Before he could react, Ling was propelled high into the air with a pillar that Eden made just for him, before making a rock land on his head with the word 'idiot' engrained on it.

"That was completely unnecessary," Wes stated as Eden sat at his workbench. Eden smirked.

"Which part? The pillar or the dunce rock?" she wondered.

"Must you be so passive-aggressive?"

"Must you be an annoying parent figure?" Eden retorted, snapping her fingers to make him hurry over to remove her Automail. "And besides, there's nothing passive about it."

"I'll say," Wes began his work. "You do realize that I'm only nagging you because I'm worried, right?"

"After everything that's happened, I thought you'd think me a lost cause by now."

"As if," Wes claimed. "You draw so much attention to yourself, after all. It's hard to ignore when you go off on another quest or whatever."

"So you're saying I should leave without a goodbye now?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying!" Wes yanked a nerve loose, making Eden yelp.

"Gah! Warn me first, you prick!"

"Oh, diving head first into death's door is no problem but a little sting is the end of the world?"

"You know as well as I do that it isn't a little sting!" Eden hissed as she relaxed back into the chair.

"Whatever you say, drama queen. And by the way, you're blushing again."

"W-what? No way!" Eden reached up to her face, but felt them surprisingly cool. "You liar!" she cried when she saw his chuckling. "Now I'm definitely going alone!"

"For the last time, no you're not!" Wes glared at her.

"Yes I am! It's my crusade, not yours!"

"But you're my best friend and you're opting to go to Briggs of all places! Did you not listen when I mentioned that the Ice Queen stopped the riots?"

"I heard you loud and clear, and it only shows that I'd be better off travelling alone to attract the least amount of attention as possible."

"Ugh!" Wes yanked another nerve loose. Eden reared back her fist, but dropped it from her burns. The two sat in silence for a moment. "You're so stubborn…"

"I got it from you, you know," Eden turned away and pouted.

"No, you got it from your mother," Wes argued.

"..."

Wes stopped working for a moment. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that."

"Damn right…" Eden replied.

"...Fine, you can go alone, but you have to promise me that you'll be back in three weeks or less, okay?"

"Pft, as if you had any say in the first place."

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

The Homunculi were ordered to lay low for a while after Fullmetal had raided Central Library and Wrath had nearly massacred an entire banquet's worth of military officials. The developments of that night were colossal for the soulless entities. First, it had been proven then and there that the Homunculi, despite their physical superiority, could be bested through ingenuity and quick-thinking. No more evident was then than with Pride and Wrath, who previously had never had a failure on record. They'd let both of their targets get away, and with the resources they'd came to get without any permanent casualties.

Not only that, but soon after that night, Sloth vanished, and the four remaining Homunculi were only left to assume that he'd deserted. Greed, knowing that the desertion was likely linked to his questioning of his past, confronted Lust on his encounter with the girl.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Depends, you aren't leaving too, are you?" Lust returned. "Is something wrong or did you just come to bother me?"

Greed's focused eyes narrowed. "I asked only because of our own disappearances. You know as well as I do why he left."

"Yeah, because he was weak," Lust snapped. "We're not, remember?"

"...What about the girl? Do you remember her?"

Lust turned away bashfully. "Bits and pieces," he admitted. "A name, Rose, and I think she lived back in that desert paradise we were sent to trash."

"What about the name?"

Lust let out a deep breath and turned away, rubbing the tips of his fingers and thumbs together. "Kain...I got nothing…"

"You sound unsure," Greed accused, to which Lust glared and opened his mouth to argue back, though he wouldn't get the chance.

"And that's just how it will stay," Pride interrupted them. "Brothers, the moment you allow that sniveling bit of humanity to invade your mind is when you'll become as worthless as they are."

Lust straightened his back. "Yeah, well they kicked our asses back in Central, so maybe-"

"Lust," Greed firm voice stopped him before he made a big mistake.

Lust cleared his throat. "Ahem...do you have something for us to do?"

"Actually, I do. It'll be a long train ride, but I'm sure these simple tasks won't be a problem for you two."

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Hawkeye, after Operation: Blitz Raid, had returned to her base in Eastern. At the time, she was filing yet another pile of papers for goods, military transfers, and all the rest of the boring things that filled her day job. It was times like these that she wished Fullmetal would burst in and threaten her life again, if nothing else than to relieve her boredom.

"Ma'am," a shorter man in his early twenties approached.

"Sergeant Fuery," Hawkeye addressed. "What is it?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. Her unit's eyes were on her as she received her assignment papers. She made it a point to say it aloud, though each time, she sighed beforehand. "Let's see, because of growing danger from approaching riots and renovations to the base and the surrounding area...you, Colonel Mustang, will be placed in the border settlement of Youswell until further notice."

"Are you serious?" Breda lit up his lighter and began smoking. "Did things die down yet from that banquet incident?"

"It's obviously a ploy to get the officers safe," Havoc argued.

"What's wrong with that?" Fuery said. "With that crazy rogue Alchemist on the loose, I don't want to be anywhere near a target until they're caught."

"Then you might be waiting a while," Hawkeye replied.

"Hm? Excuse me, ma'am?"

"It's as if every time we get close to putting Fullmetal in chains, she slips out of our grasp, back to whatever hole she calls home," Hawkeye stated. "And besides," she showed them the paper. "If it has the Fuhrer's seal, then there's nothing we can do but obey. I want this entire office packed up by tomorrow," she ordered, immediately preparing for the trip.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey, so I know this is like really short, but I didn't want to have a slightly longer chapter only to stop it right after a character gets somewhere, so I decided to just save everything for the next chapter.**

 **Story-time** **: I had to mow my back yard today, and it takes about an hour a minimum once I get started, and I spent the time thinking about this story, so I'm hoping that time was well spent and I can pump out a chapter or two within the week, and not the month like this piddly thing turned out.**

 **Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and if you could, leave a review stating your thoughts; it means the world to me.**


	15. 12 Moniker of Greed

Youswell, the last city to the east...it was a strange feeling to be so close to the border, at least to Hawkeye it was. It unnerved her even.

Within the confines of Amestris, even with the riots and obstinence and general aggression against change, comforted the Colonel. It was her home, and the memories associated with it and its corruption were the only solace, other than making Fullmetal feel like an idiot, for the tired woman.

Once the train arrived at the station, and Hawkeye's unit was preparing to disembark, the Colonel stopped them, unable to shake her feelings of weariness. "Wait," she ordered. "I'm going alone for now."

"Why do you say that, Colonel Mustang?" Fuery wondered.

"It's...probably nothing, but I feel as if this is the best course. Take the supplies and papers down the trains a few miles out of town. I'll radio when to come back," Hawkeye ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" her subordinates saluted her as she left the train car. Almost as soon as she entered town, Hawkeye received...questionable gestures from the townsfolk. Some would purposefully get in her way, other would send her glares, and one teenager even swung around with the intent of hitting her. Hawkeye had enough tact not to accuse the boy of such, especially since he'd missed, but all he said was a reluctant "sorry 'bout that" before walking away.

Hawkeye, after acquiring a suitable mental map of town, approached the only inn located in the town. "Excuse me," she attracted the attention of the innkeep; a burly man with clear experience in the mines that the town was known for. He too gave her a weary glance, though he at least didn't attempt to hinder her in any way. "I'd like to ask for a room."

"...The price is steep," the man warned, taking a moment to answer as if contemplating whether he should refuse or not. Hawkeye raised an eyebrow, and the man got the message. "Two-hundred thousand."

"Out of the question," Hawkeye never missed a beat.

"What? You military types are all loaded, after all."

"'Loaded' and 'getting by comfortably' are two different things."

"Given that this town doesn't fit under either, then I'd say we don't have any other choice," the man stated. "If you refuse to pay ma'am, then I'm going to ask you to leave."

Hawkeye was tempted to use her holstered handgun to "convince" the man otherwise, but ultimately decided to heed his request. It was clear to her that this town had enough problems without a military officer extorting service from them without recompense.

So, she exited the building and wandered a bit until it grew dark, at which point she started heading back to the train tracks. "Excuse me," a man's voice entered her ears, gruff and tired; not one she recognized. She turned around a saw a man wearing a brown suit, with black vest, white dress shirt and green tie underneath. His face was nearly square-shaped and he had a thick golden beard hanging from ear to ear. "I couldn't help but notice that the townsfolk refused you a room."

"...And you are?"

The man lightly laughed at his own rudeness. "Excuse me; you may call me Theo. Now, Ms. Hawkeye, I'll like to offer-"

Hawkeye didn't let the man finish, quickly pulling a gun on him. "How do you know that name?" she demanded.

The man only smiled and held his hand up. "Please, Ms. Hawkeye, there's no need for that," a area around his hand glowed and brilliant red color, and the gun fell apart in Hawkeye's hands. "I mean you no harm."

Knowing that if she fought the man she would surely die, Hawkeye had no choice but to follow him. He led her to one of the hills outside of town, where she found a small cottage which he'd apparently called home.

The two sat around a fire with a modest dinner to eat. "That was Alchemy, right?" Hawkeye wondered. "With the red glow?"

"That's correct," Theo answered. "That's perceptive of you."

"I've known plenty of Alchemists throughout my military career."

"Like Fullmetal, I suppose?" Theo shot her a sly grin.

" _Does he know everything about me?_ " Hawkeye thought to herself. Still, she wouldn't let it get to her. "I'm surprised you haven't been scouted by the military; with your skill, not needing a circle of any kind, you could easily make it as a State Alchemist. We're running a little short lately, after all."

"Really? And why's that?"

Hawkeye took a deep breath. "There's a combination of factors, but the end result is the same; we only have one major State Alchemist remaining in our ranks; Basque Grand, the Iron-Blood Alchemist. Others deserted, like in the case of the Strong-Arm Alchemist and the Crystal Alchemist, both of which haven't been seen for years," Hawkeye lied about the last part, knowing exactly where both are. "Then there was the Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker, who died in a failed Human Transmutation a few years back. Lastly, over two decades ago, apparently there were many State Alchemists, during the time of the Ishval Rebellion and, eventually, the Ishvalan Genocide. Every Ishvalan was killed by State Alchemists, though, apparently, one survived and massacred them. The Silver, Freezing, Thunder, Tuning, and Silver Bullet Alchemists all fell to this Ishvalan, codenamed Scar. They say he fell while battling the Crimson Alchemist, Solf J. Kimblee, though reports are cloudy on who won and who simply bled out due to battle wounds. Neither was seen afterwards."

"I see. It truly is unfortunate. Perhaps if there were more State Alchemists, that dreadful Fullmetal would finally be captured."

"You don't very much like her?"

"Oh no, I adore her. She has a spark like I've never seen in this generation yet," Theo claimed. "However, if only she wouldn't have to be so...hard to catch, then she could do so much more good, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's the same for anyone; those living in the shadows are doomed to less efficiency than those who can move about freely," Hawkeye said in response.

Theo smiled. "You're a smart woman, Ms. Hawkeye. And I'm afraid this is where I leave you. Be warned, you're going to have a shock tomorrow. Of that, I promise you," Theo stood. "And as for your question, about why I haven't been scouted, it's because I'm a traveller, much like that Briggs-faring Fullmetal is," the man tipped a hat he didn't have, and parted with the Colonel with only questions as to his true identity and motive.

Unfortunately, Hawkeye wasn't going to get any answers soon, and she knew this, so she decided to call it a night.

In the morning, Hawkeye decided to reconcile with the innkeeper on the grounds that she would be staying for an unknown length of time, and as such, she'd want to have as amicable a relationship with the townsfolk as possible. However, as she arrived to the inn, she'd found that several soldiers were already there, and none were under her command. She hid, wanting to watch the event unfold naturally.

"Lieutenant," the innkeep greeted reluctantly. "What brings you to our humble abode?"

"Holland, I see you keep the place as filthy as always," the pompous-looking officer returned. "And, come to think of it, you haven't kept up on the taxes of your building either."

"Perhaps if you'd raise our pay, then we'd be able to-"

"Ugh, don't bore with that drivel, Holland. Perhaps if you wouldn't spend so much of your breadwinnings on alcohol, then you'd be able to meet our standards."

Having heard enough, Hawkeye was about to step forward, but she was beaten to it, and the impact of seeing his face again was enough to make her stop. "Excuse me, gentleman, but I believe that this is the money you happen to be looking for," a sack of gold was tossed to Loki's feet.

The man who threw it was at the bar, unnoticed by either innkeep or soldier, but whose unyielding demeanor and the coldness of the eyes demanded presence. "And who are you?"

"Came here on the Fuhrer's direct orders," the man relinquished a paper. "This dust bowl is now exempt from your taxes, Lieutenant."

"W-what?" the officer quickly skimmed over the letter of approval. "That's impossible."

"No, it's very possible; now return to your mansion at once until the Fuhrer calls your sorry hide back to Central for abuse of power."

"B-but-"

"Now!" the man shot a hand forward, and a thin jet of water shot out from it, expanding into a torrent which shot Yoki and his escorts out of the building.

Too dumbfounded to accept anything other than a 'you're welcome' Holland and the other townsfolk watched the man leave.

Hawkeye met him outside, determined to keep her own demeanor intact. "That's an interesting proposition, sir," Hawkeye stated. "What's the catch?"

"I'm sure it'll become clear, Colonel Mustang," the 'man' offered a hand to shake. "You can call me Rowan."

"Hawkeye," she shook his hand. " _You won't fool me, Homunculus,_ " the woman thought. " _I'm going to stop whatever the hell you're planning with this town._ "

The two sat at a table to talk. "I'd heard you protected Lt. Colonel Hughes during that banquet fiasco in Central. That was brave of you," Rowan stated.

"Thank you. Though we're all still left to wonder what exactly attacked, and, moreover, why none of the other officers responded."

"I suppose that's something we can both agree on. A bit ridiculous how none of the other officers can react to the unexpected."

The two sat in silence for a moment. "I don't recall ever hearing your name before. What's your rank?" Hawkeye wondered.

"Major."

"A State Alchemist then? It would explain your strange display back there."

"Yes, well, I had to grease a few fingers to get the information on the circles, but-"

"In that case, your greed almost outclasses Loki," Hawkeye lowered her eyes into slits. Fullmetal had told her of the Homunculus Greed who could unleash torrents of water on command.

Whether or not he noticed, however, he glared.

Hawkeye cleared her throat. "So, Major, how long will you be stationed here?"

His face softened. "Ah, probably a few days. And you?"

"Most likely more. My base is being renovated, which could take weeks."

"I see…" another silence. "Well, I should be going," the Homunculus stood.

"Right then. If you need assistance, Major, just let me know," the two saluted each other before he walked away. "Strange…" she said after him. "He looked so natural…"

Dazed from the encounter, Hawkeye entered the inn, where there was a huge party going on. Hawkeye managed to wade her way through the crown to Holland.

"Hey!" he greeted cheerily. "You know, maybe you military types ain't so bad after all!"

"He wasn't with the military," Hawkeye claimed. "He was a liar with a motive, I know it."

Holland turned serious. "You're saying everything he said was-"

"It isn't what he said. He'd had the Fuhrer's approval, which means that there's some dark business going on in higher ups. See, I think it would be best if you took your family and left Youswell."

Holland didn't respond.

"I know this sounds a bit far fetched, but I truly do believe-"

"I hear ya," the man claimed. "But I'm staying right here."

"Wha… are you deaf? There is a real danger here. Who knows how long it'll be until this town is a ghost town?"

"Little Missy, I doubt you have any experience with this kind of thing, but when you have the kind of bond that we do with this town and the mines…then you can't leave it behind."

Hawkeye was speechless, unable to come up with a rebuttal. She soon realized that no matter what argument she made, these people were glued to this town and its mines. The woman straightened her back and cleared her throat.

"Well, if I can't convince you, then I'll take my leave," she exited. However, she had no intention of actually leaving these people behind. A younger version of her might have, one fresh off of the promotion to Colonel might have, but not now. However, she would be far too late.

First, she went to get her men and then gathered supplies. With that done, and with night having set in, they waited for morning to go back. It was a mistake, to say the least.

Hawkeye could see the water buildup from a mile away, at which point she ordered the train to be stopped where it was. She then leapt from the front car toward the town.

"Wait! Stop!" she yelled to the Homunculus, who merely looked in her direction before smirking and thrusting a portion of his natural arsenal at one of the buildings in town. Hawkeye quickly aimed and shot at the monster, though all of the shots were blocked by the waves. Out of options, Hawkeye threw herself between the town and the Homunculus.

He laughed. "Ha! Do you think I'm going to stop just because you're in the way?!" Greed shot his hand forward and a whip of water-turned-ice tripped up the female officer, probably causing some cuts as well.

"I know that you won't kill me, Homunculus!"

"Is that a challenge? Because I accept!" Greed lifted both of his arms and, with some strain, summoned forth a tidal wave, shooting it forward.

"I know you're somewhere in that sinful body!" Hawkeye watched as it approached her and, more importantly, the town. "Stop this, Roy Mustang!" she called his name, which echoed in his ears and made him hesitate. Then, with a sudden act of confusion, the tidal wave parted around Hawkeye and then reformed after it had passed, demolishing the entirety of the town and drowning its inhabitants.

With the water draining into the mines below, causing them to be unusable, Greed straightened his back, and attempted to regain his composure. Hawkeye dropped to the ground, half filled with shame of having let the destruction of Youswell happen, and half relieved that she had been spared.

Greed sat with his back to hers. "Where did you hear that name?"

"...He was...an old friend…"

"Close?"

"...Yeah…" Hawkeye remained speechless.

"...Don't take it personally, but you were also one of my targets, for growing too much of a following, Colonel Hawkeye."

"You remember me?"

"I was told your name by the Fuhrer, and I was told that this town needed to go; too much corruption, too little gain is what he said."

"But...why free them from taxes? What's the point if you kill them just hours later?" Hawkeye wondered.

"...well…" Greed had to think about the question, standing as he did so. "I...suppose, on the off chance that I died, I'd want to die during a high. I would want to be happy."

"You monster...it's impossible for you to feel anything!" Hawkeye accused.

"Maybe," Greed elected not to argue, with the two coming to a staredown.

"...Well? Aren't you going to finish it? I'm one of your targets, right?"

"No," Greed answered immediately.

"But...why?"

"...My moniker is Greed, the uncontrollable desire to obtain everything. While boring things don't interest me, power does. I'm going to become the most powerful thing on this planet. And, if I ever lose my power," he gave her a hard stare. "Then it has to be someone that I'd known as Roy Mustang that puts me out of my misery," the Homunculus walked away, leaving Hawkeye to be found by her soldiers half an hour later.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, this entire chapter was designed specifically to introduce Theo and to reveal Greed's human identity. That's it; other than that I had no purpose in writing it, but...I suppose that was enough.**

 **I also wanted to have a Hawkeye-focused chapter, because I really like the character and her bluntness combined with conservative mannerisms.**

 **Either way, why don't you leave me a review to give me your thoughts on what I could improve on. Next time, though, we're going back to Eden's journey as she travels to Briggs!**


	16. 13 Ultimate Defense

It was a few days before Eden was able to go to Briggs, and a few more for the train to get there. However, when she arrived, she only had one thought: "Why the hell is it so damn cold?!" she yelled out into the frozen city. She wrapped her arms around herself and immediately entered a clothing store.

For those in the peanut gallery, this was the first time that Eden had been this far north, and it was one of the first times she's seen snow.

After, uh…borrowing, a thick jacket, Eden made her way to a directory, where she saw that Briggs was to the north. "Though...Sloth said that Mirror's Edge was near Briggs...and there are a lot of soldiers up that way…" her shoulders drooped. "Maybe the townspeople know something."

And so, she asked around, everywhere that would listen really. Most people either gave her a dirty look or ignored her: after all she was the little whore who came waltzing up north with no clue as to anything, but for those who paid her mind, they each said the same thing: "the mirror who?"

Defeated and feeling vulnerable, Eden slogged through the snow that was becoming thicker and thicker, through the storm that was becoming thicker and thicker. "Damn...why the hell did I want to go alone?" Eden talked to herself. "This is the stupidest thing I've ever done. Man, if only I could just find the fortress already and then I could just mooch of its warmth and supplies."

Then it happened. It was the only time in her life that Eden was happy to see the sterile, dank, lifeless walls of an Amestrian military fortress. "Finally!" she exclaimed, though quietly so as not to attract any guards. "Now all I have to do is circle around to a better vantage point."

Eden walked along the wall for a good mile before reaching a wall of white, which she walked right into.

"What the hell?" Eden looked up, and saw that she was at the foot of the mountain. "Oh…" it was then that Eden realized that Briggs wasn't a base, but a wall. "Then it must be that Ultimate Defense that the military boasts about, the last line of defense between Amestris and Drachma. Fine, I see how it is," Eden clapped her hands and pressed them into the ground, creating a narrow hole for her to jump into. "Damn, it's even colder underground…"

Still, Eden pressed through, making her way just underneath the fort while hearing footsteps overhead. Once she reached an area where she heard nothing Eden emerged from the ground. She noted the magnitude of the fort almost instantly. And, again almost instantly, she had to move out of sight in order to not get caught. As Eden made her way through the ducts and vents, she was astounded at the amount of soldiers on staff.

At first, Eden looked for a library or something along those lines, but she couldn't find one. None of the soldiers were talking about a Mirror's Edge either. Then, Eden began to wonder if Sloth had lied to her. It would make sense; the Homunculi using her connection with Sloth, in that he looked like Alphonse, to lead her right into a trap with the most successful branch of the Amestrian Military.

But...it was the look in his eyes. The look in his eyes before he turned away and ran off. He cared about her, even if he wouldn't admit it.

After that, Eden recalled when Sloth actually recommended that she come here: "I heard Lust and Greed talking about someone named the Mirror's Edge up north near Briggs. She supposedly knows everything there is to know about Homunculi."

She...so it was a woman. With that knowledge stowed away, Eden began looking for a prison. As she approached the area, she noticed that the vents were getting smaller. It made sense; less room for air meant less warm air could get through to the prisoners, making them suffering for committing a crime. As she crawled through, the chest and stomach started rubbing against the bottom. "Damn, good thing I'm flat-chested," Eden muttered to herself. She then chuckled. "What kind of a woman would ever say something like that? Never mind: screw my flat chest."

Suddenly, after she had finished her sentence, a massive mechanical crocodile's jaw plunged up into the vents and yanked Eden right out of them. Eden reacted fast as she landed, clapping her hands and forcing a pillar to push her assailant away.

"What the hell are you supposed to be, girlie?" the bear of a man wondered.

"Not sure; want me to be your pallbearer?" Eden threatened as she clapped her hands again, holding her arm perpendicular to the ground, and forcing a metal blade to extend from her elbow.

"As if I'd give you the chance!" the man thrust forward, which Eden dodged handily. She then burst forward, ducking under the man's crocodile as she did, before leaping up and swinging down toward his head, the blade aimed for right between his eyes.

The soldier expected this, pulling up his arm very fast for his size, and blocked the assault, propelling Eden toward the ceiling. The younger girl quickly clapped her hands and pressed them to the top of the room, molding several columns to fall onto the man's head. "Ha! You have no idea how easy this is after fighting what I have!" Eden boasted.

"Don't get too comfortable, kid!" the man said roughly as a wall of soldiers appeared from behind him.

"Oh man!" Eden clapped her hands.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a deeper voice came from behind Eden. The man it belongs to walked past her and met the others in their line. He had darker skin and he was wearing these special glasses to hide his eyes.

"And what if I don't want to listen to you?" Eden wondered.

"Well, you could always-" Eden didn't let him finish, smashing her hand to the wall. "Fire!"

Before the bullets went off, the wall was made, allowing Eden to escape. She made it back to the open room that she'd started in, and then heard the alarm go off. The lights dimmed, being slowly replaced with red ones that faded in and out. Eden used the confusion to make her way into one of the halls to circle back around to the prison.

However, as she turned a corner, she was met with another line of soldiers. Already aimed her way, they fired without warning. Eden expected a quick death or massive burning in her body; neither had she felt. Instead, another group of soldiers fell dead behind her. Eden looked at them; they were glowing a pink color. "You're…on my side?" the Alchemist wondered. Her question was soon answered as they reloaded and then aimed at her. "Nope!" Eden made a wall separating them and ran down the opposite hallway.

She went down many hallways, and at each intersection she was being cut off on one end by the pink soldiers until she made it to another open area. At this point, she had the entire Briggs branch on her heels, and she felt the base shake from all of the footsteps following her. As she got halfway across the hall, an equally massive army of the undead soldiers blocked her path. Eden screeched to a halt, and awaited the army with closed eyes; however, they just passed her.

Confused, but attempting to appear confident, Eden turned back to the Briggs branch. "Looks like I've got my own army," she said casually.

The two armies stood facing each other, loud murmurs and threats coming from Briggs. "Everyone, be quiet!" a booming voice silenced everyone. A set of footsteps was heard, and a woman with very full lips and blue eyes so clear, they were almost like a mirror. "I see we're graced with the presence of the 'illustrious' Fullmetal Alchemist," the woman held her chin high and firm, her eyes challenging Eden to make a stupid move.

"That's right, and if you don't want me to send my army after you, then you'll-"

"Do you take me for a fool?" the woman interrupted. "You've been running from these mindless oaks as much as you have my army."

" _Damn, called my bluff…"_ Eden thought.

"So tell me, Fullmetal, who is it that's provided this force?"

"That would be me," his voice came from above to group, and the man dropped down in front of the two armies.

Eden flared, her heart filled with rage. "Lust…" she muttered his name like it was poison.

He craned his neck to look at her, a sick grin plastered on his face. "Hey there, Fullmetal Jailbait," he greeted slimily as he locked his lips.

"What did you just call me?!" Eden demanded. Lust ignored the outburst and turned to his main issue.

"See, I happen to know a lot about you, General," Lust claimed.

"Really?" the woman seemed unimpressed.

"I also happen to need you," Lust extended his hand, showing his Ouroboros tattoo. The sight seemed to slightly sway the General, though she refused to show it much. "You know what this is? You should; it's somewhere on that supple body of yours as well. It means that you belong with us."

" _You're kidding._ Another _Homunculus?!"_ Eden screamed in her head.

"So, Envy…" he let the name linger as he offered his hand to her. "Come back to us."

The familiar line sent enough of an impact to known Eden out of her stunned stupor, running to List and grading his shirt collar. "You bastard! You're gonna pay for what you did to Rose!" Fullmetal vowed.

"Eh? Rose?" Lust played dumb. "Oh, is she that little whore back in Central?"

"Call her that again and I'll wring your neck!"

"As if you have the guts, Dullmetal," Lust insulted her.

"Just wait and see!" Eden reared back her Automail fist and socked the monster in the jaw. He didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

"Yes, well," a couple of Lust's personal army dragged Eden off of him. "I believe my work is done here," he turned back to the General. "When you're ready, the rest of us will be waiting in Central."

Then, in a flash, Lust leapt to the edge of the room and leapt out of the base, his glowing army dissipating into thin air. Now a sitting duck with no protection, Eden then had about a million guns and a sword shoved in her face. "I…concede…"

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

It had been a quiet few days in Resembool since Eden had left for Briggs. News of the disaster in Youswell reached Wes' ears within the day of it happening. He wasn't sure why, but he was sure that it was one of the Homunculi; after all, there weren't any water sources large enough or flooded enough to cause that kind of atrocity otherwise.

Still, despite that, he wasn't _that_ worried about Resembool. Unless Eden dragged the greatest military force here single-handedly, he doubted that anyone would pay this little burg any mind. Besides, it's Resembool that provides over half of the country's wheat and cotton, so they wouldn't risk it.

Of course, it couldn't be completely quiet, not with how Amestris is like right now. No, but instead of an army, Resembool was visited by but one man. His knocks at the door nearly pushed it off of its hinges.

"Wesley?" Alex's voice was heard clearly on the other side. "Are you at your residence?"

Wes opened the door and smiled. "Aw, Alex, you don't have to be so formal; just call me Wes."

"Unacceptable," was all Alex said on the subject. "Now then, I have a question."

"Is it about Eden?" Wes wondered, preparing to give the news.

"Yes, it is. Pray tell, is she around here?"

"Well, Alex, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but…Eden is pregnant…"

"Really?" Alex's eyes bulged. "That's, erm…"

"Ling's the father; they went back to Xing."

"I...see...well, give them my-"

"Eh? What are you going on about?" Ling emerged from within the house.

"Wesley…I thought you'd said they had left for Xing," Alex obviously didn't get the joke.

"It's because he's messing with you, strong-arm."

"That's Armstrong to you!" Alex threatened, causing Ling to leap back.

"Right, right."

"So then, where is Fullmetal?"

"Yeah, she went up north to Briggs. Apparently there's someone up there who knows how to kill the Homunculi."

Alex tensed. "Did you say Briggs?!" he yelled.

"Uh, yeah. What's the problem?" I mean, I had a problem with it too, but it's not like we can stop her, right?"

"You do not understand, Wesley!" Armstrong snapped. "I must make haste, for Eden Eric is in grave danger!"

The man burst off at a speed unparalleled by anyone that Wes knew. "You're gonna run all the way there!"

"This method of long-distance running has been passed through the Armstrong line for generations!" he yelled as he ran. Alex Louis Armstrong was heading north.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey there! I really hope you guys are enjoying this thing; it's definitely been a lot of fun to write while I'm in the grueling hell that is Honors Chemistry ;P**

 **Anyway, why don't you leave me a review to tell me your thoughts? I'm always appreciative of any and all comments, good or bad, and hey, if you guys have any questions you can leave a review or PM me; either way, I'll respond as soon as possible.**

 **Other than that, thank you all for reading, and next time we'll see the conclusion of Briggs!**


	17. 14 Mirror's Edge

Eden's hands were quickly forced into manacles and she was forced into a cell, where it was cold enough to freeze her to the bone. She wrapped her borrowed coat around herself tightly. "Damn it! What I wouldn't do for a hot coffee right now…"

"I can have that arranged, if you'll quit whining like a buffoon," the rough voice of Briggs' own Ice Queen entered her cell. When she looked, she saw that the woman had already sat down and was waiting for a response.

"So what now? Are you gonna kill me here in this cell, right now?" Eden demanded, unnerved as the woman's stone-cold eyes pierced right through the fugitive.

"On the contrary," a smirked plastered itself onto the General's full lips. "I'm going to take you down to Central. Despite Briggs' isolated location, I know that you're worth a lot down there. It should offer a nice and healthy promotion."

"You mean you're going to join your Homunculus friends," Eden corrected.

The Ice Queen chuckled. "Actually, I'm about as confused as I can be on that subject, which is why I haven't arranged for you to be sent off just yet. Let me make myself clear; I'm not keeping you around because I like you, and I'm not going to keep you around for more than I need to, so you're going to answer all of my questions on the matter, understood?"

"And if I don't?"

"Then this brief respite will end much quicker than I was planning, _and_ it will have several more stab wounds as well," she threatened.

Eden considered her options, and ultimately decided that obeying the Ice Queen. "Fine, I'll answer whatever you want. In exchange for a name, that is."

"A name?"

"I want to test a theory."

The Ice Queen hesitated only briefly before giving her full name. "General Olivier Mira Armstrong."

Two of those three names threw Eden for a loop. "Armstrong? As in-"

"As in my last name is Armstrong, what of it?" her voice once again made the question more of a challenge.

And then there was 'Mira'...It _did_ bear an uncanny resemblance to the word...and it's meaning was…

"Then you must be the Mirror's Edge?" Eden wondered.

"What?"

"Your middle name sounds like 'mirror' and means 'boundary' or 'edge,' right?"

"...It was a childhood nickname," she claimed. "Now, is that all you needed?"

"Yeah, that's all. I'm ready for twenty questions," Eden smirked, trying to appear more confident than she was.

"First, what the hell were those soldiers?"

Eden leaned back against the wall. "From what I can tell, they were spirits given physical form, though I'm not sure. I know that they were created by that man, Lust."

"That was no man, I know that much," Olivier claimed. "What was he? How was he able to do that?"

"He was a Homunculus; an Alchemically created being that adopts the persona of one of the seven deadly sins, and gains powers unlike anything I've ever seen before. Apparently, you're one as well."

"Except that I wasn't created. I was born and raised, like any other human," Olivier argued.

"Could've fooled me…" Eden muttered, turning away.

"What was that?!" she suddenly turned into the devil.

"Nothing!" Eden cried. Calm soon returned. "There should be seven; you make the sixth I've encountered.

"There are four others like that Lust?"

"And the problem is that I don't know how to kill the bastards; I came here to get information on how to do it," Eden explained, seeing no harm in telling the oblivious woman. "I was tipped off to find the Mirror's Edge, with the person claiming that 'she knew everything there was to know about Homunculi,' but that's obviously not true," Eden gestured to her conversation partner. She didn't get the reaction that she was expecting, only finding that Olivier was in deep thought.

"Well, they each take on the persona of the sins, right? Maybe all that's needed is to counteract the sin."

"What, like out-sin them?"

"Or force them to do something that fundamentally goes against their sin. Like Pride; all you'd have to do is force him to humble himself."

"Easier said than done," Eden returned. "And besides trying to make the sins to repent? I'd bet that that's nigh-impossible with how they acted to me."

Olivier crossed her arms. "Not to mention, they can't be subdued any other way, not permanently anyway. It tenses my muscles just thinking about something like that."

"Hey, _you_ should be the one relaxing; they're on your side, after all," Eden claimed.

"Ha!" Olivier stood, appearing even more intimidating to the younger girl. "If I can my hands on that Lust, I'd rip him to shreds for making my forces look like a pack of fools. The same goes for anyone who makes fools of my men, ally or not," she claimed as she turned to leave. "You're going to be in that cell for a few more moments until I have Buccaneer 'escort' you down to Central for me," she walked away.

"W-wait!" Eden called her back.

"Oh? A plead? Go ahead," she cracked a sick smirk.

"I just...I'll take that coffee now," Eden responded, sitting back onto her bed, or what passed for one this far north. Olivier's smirk faded, and was replaced with a scowl. The woman walked away and had someone else deliver the coffee. "Thank you," Eden said as the woman walked away, pretending to blow on the beverage.

Once she was alone, Eden quickly set the cup down and clapped her, hands, pressing one of them to the top of the beverage. When her hand was removed, it was left as water with the coffee grounds on the bottom. "Too bad for you guys, this place will freeze the water," Eden said to herself as she splashed the water onto the bars of her cell. With another transmutation, the water expanded as it froze, cracking the bars enough to break them easily.

Once Eden was out of her cell, she quickly found her way back into the vent system, and tried to find her way out. Faster than she was expecting, the alarm went off. "Search the vents!" she heard the gruff man's voice from earlier, the one that had the sick Automail arm. She could only assume that he was Buccaneer. Soon enough, though, Eden was spotted and forced to leave the vents, running from soldiers. Soon, Eden made her way back into the big room, but this time she barricaded the doors behind her, sealing them shut with a transmutation. After that, and after narrowly avoiding some soldiers' fire, Eden found her way to a balcony roughing three stories off of the ground. Seeing no other choice, as soldiers were after her from within the wall, Eden leapt off the side, managing to transmute a blade from her elbow once again, and dig it into the wall, slowing her descent.

Once she landed, still rough from the height, she made a sprint back toward the nearby town, though that plan didn't end up working out, as Olivier's voice, heard from well outside it, was on intercom, saying to look for her. "Find that girl, the Fullmetal Alchemist!" she called as tanks rolled out into the snow after her. Eden veered right, into uncharted territory of snowy forest.

"Damn it! If only there was a bear's cave; I could hole up there or something…" Eden said, ducking behind one of the tree as a tank passed her.

"I found her!" a soldier called form behind.

"Go away, would you?!" Eden clapped and smashed her hands into the snow, creating a pillar to blast the man away. She then made another dash, though was soon surrounded by tanks and soldiers. Olivier popped out from within one of the tanks.

"It was a nice attempt, I'll grant you that."

"Wow, thanks, I feel honored," Eden said, a deep-rooted glare aimed at the older woman. "Is the awe enough to let me go?"

"Not in the slightest," Olivier stated, gesturing for Buccaneer to grab her.

However, right as he was on top of her, a boulder came flying out of nowhere and at his face, knocking him away. "What the hell?" Eden looked in the direction of the boulder, only to see the wall of soldiers that was once there unconscious on the ground, and a bear of some sort towering over them...or at least something close to a bear.

"Be warned, soldiers of Briggs…" the man picked up another boulder. "For this method of Strong-Arm Alchemy has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" he threw the boulder up into the air and struck it with his lone fist. The Transmutation Circle inscribed into his gauntlet split the boulder into multiple pin-point spearhead-like projectiles, which pierced several tanks and caused them to explode.

"Armstrong!" Eden cried, running up to him. "Am I ever glad to see you!" she grinned.

"This is hardly the time for formalities. Stay back!" he ordered, shoving her behind him.

Olivier looked at the crippled man with dissatisfaction. "You're still alive, Alex?"

"I am, sister," Alex answered. "And I am taking Eden Elric within my custody."

"Will you now?" she leered at him.

"Is that a problem, sister?" Armstrong readied another boulder.

"Do you _really_ think your bloated muscles and foolhardy Alchemy can save that child? Like they saved Catherine?"

"You know full well that that was _your_ doing, sister!"

"Alex…" Eden couldn't think of anything to say; this was a side of him that she'd never seen.

"Eden Elric, you must run from here, now!"

"What? I'm not just gonna leave you here!" Eden claimed.

"I said now!" Alex shot the boulder at Olivier, who brandished her sword and sliced it into pieces, sparing her tank.

"Only if you come too!" Eden clapped her hands, and formed a thick wall dividing them and the Briggs army. "Let's go!" she dragged him with her, the two sprinting away, though Eden was exceptionally slower than the larger Alex Louis Armstrong. Soon, finding her to be too slow, the man hoisted her onto his shoulder.

"We must hurry!" Alex exclaimed, breaking into a full-on sprint.

Eden looked back from her new perch and saw that the remaining cannons had already blown through the wall she'd created. "Give me a rock!" she called, and Alex threw one up to her. Eden clapped her hands as he threw it and then punched the thing with her Automatic. While it wasn't as spectacular or destructive as Alex's, it succeeded in what she need. It kicked up enough snow for the wind to create a fog. "Now, run!"

And so he did, far past the tanks and the forces of Briggs. The snow was becoming too thick for the tanks, and the foots soldiers had no chance of keeping up with a man like Alex.

After they escaped to warmer territory, within approximately a day, Armstrong began to slow down. Eden breathed a sigh of relief on his shoulder. "You know, I think that was the first time I was glad to see you, Armstrong," she tried to pass it off like she hadn't heard anything. Alex remained silent. "So, what was your plan? Did you come up here to take Briggs single-handedly? It would really surprise me, but I'm sure you were just worried about little-old me, right?" another silence. Eden let out a deep breath as Alex continued walking forward, stalwart as ever and yet now seemingly distant. "...That woman is who you tried to bring back, isn't she?"

Alex took a deep breath. "She is my sister, Olivier Mira Armstrong. Out of the three of us, she was the weakest. She was born frail, always sick and rarely leaving the house. Our other sister, Catherine, she...she didn't know that Olivier had passed away, and I never wanted her to find out, so I attempted to bring her back. The act only served to take away my arm, and drive a wedge in my relationship with Catherine. The thing that Olivier turned into, the monster you saw claimed that Alchemy was evil, and Catherine fully committed to that after my deeds in the Ishval conflicts…"

"You were-"

"I was a State Alchemist, yes. I deserted," he explained briefly. "My first year on the front lines, and it was still too much. A true man such as myself couldn't bear witness to such horrors with a sound mind."

"...And Catherine, she's-"

"Gone as well; epidemic. If I'd been there, perhaps she would have…" he trailed off, a few tears dropping. Alex wiped his faced with a handkerchief. "Excuse, but we must make haste. I fear that Rush Valley won't be safe much longer."

"Actually, Alex, could you take me to Resembool? Wes is there, and I need my Automail fixed up."

"I see...if you insist, though I can only promise to get you there. What lies ahead is something for fate to decide."

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys! I was going to upload this around six or seven hours earlier, right after I finished it, but literally wouldn't let me upload the document, so here it is now!**

 **I bit more of a heavy chapter, as will be the next several. Let's just say that shit's about to hit the fan.**

 **Anyway, I hope you're all looking forward to that, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!**


	18. 15 Visions of Pain

It took a few days for Eden and Alex to reach Resembool again. In that time, few words were spoken between them, and rightfully so; Eden needed to absorb the things that Alex had told her. When they did return, Alex left almost immediately to Rush Valley, leaving Eden to deal with her own, uh…issues.

"You ruined it!" Wes exclaimed as he paced back and forth, pounding his palm with the end of his wrench. "You ruined the Automail that I _just_ made for you!"

Eden held her arm up to examine it, finding that it just needed a slight fixing up. "I think you might be blowing things out of-"

"That was just over a _week ago_!" Wes smashed her face in with the wrench, right onto the bed for repairs.

"You know, Fullmetal, for a renegade, you give in to your mechanic an awful lot," Ling said from the doorway.

"Look, shifty, if I wanted the running commentary, I'd ask," Eden snapped.

"...See, now that just hurts."

"Can it!" she returned as she held her head. "Why'd you have to hit me…?" she whined to her mechanic.

Rose patted her friend's shoulder comfortingly. "Hey, look on the bright side; if any other part of you gets cut into little bits, I'll be sure to fix you right up."

"Even if you _could_ do that, I'd rather you not. I'll stick to my non-Frankenstein-like self, thank you very much."

"So, what's the play now? Did you get what you needed? The Mirror's Edge?"

"Yeah… about that…" Eden took her time explaining what happened. "So then Armstrong, our Armstrong, appeared out of nowhere and got me to safety. For his own privacy, I'm not gonna repeat what he said, but you get the picture."

Ling chuckled dryly. "So, that bastard Sloth sent you on a suicide mission after all? I say that you should've let me gut him. "

"Even if you had, it wouldn't have killed him," Wes reminded them. Rose looked to Eden hopefully.

"Did…did Lust say…anything about me?" she wondered. Eden gave her a sympathetic look.

"Everything happened so fast; you didn't come up at all," Eden lied. She figured that it would be best for Rose not to interact with Lust. Not only would he have taken advantage of and abused her the second he got the chance, but Rose was the type of person who's obsessed with the past, and Lust was definitely from the past.

"My question remains; what now?" Ling repeated.

Eden nodded. "I don't think that Sloth lied to me; the Mirror's Edge was up there and it was a woman, like he said. I think we should try to follow her theory."

"What? You mean out-sin the embodiments of the sins?"

"Exactly. Bullets don't do anything, and even explosions don't hurt them permanently," Eden argued. "This is the best chance we've got, and with them out of the picture, we'll be able to get back what we're really doing."

"Your crusade against the world, we know," Wes said, bored.

"And what of my Philosopher's Stone?" Ling questioned, obviously not having forgotten their deal. "You promised it to me."

"But I never said when I'd get it for you, did I?" Fullmetal smirked. "Anyway, I think the first step is-" The group was interrupted as a large booming sound was heard, drowning out whatever Eden was going to say. Eden took a single glance out the window, seeing a cannon's gun aiming another shot at the house, before she yelled "Get down!" and threw Wes and Rose onto the floor before diving down herself.

The round all but destroyed the front wall of the house, with another round being fired which destroyed a good portion of the left side.

"That was a warning, Fullmetal!" they heard from outside. "Get the hell out here, and don't make me ask twice!"

Eden ducked under the windowsill, peeking out to see three tanks lined up in front of the Elric house. "Damn, how'd they find us?" she wondered.

"I said, don't make me ask-"

"Wait!" Eden shot her hands up in surrender as she stood. "Don't shoot!"

The full lips of Olivier spread themselves into a sinister leer. "There you are…"

"General Armstrong, I had no idea that you were a fan of mine, given that you've gone to the trouble to tracking me down."

"Heh, after nearly four years of searching, I'm surprised the spineless lot in Central hasn't sent troops out to track you after one of your little sprees," she said. "Nevertheless, I did, and here we are. Now, I'm only going to make my offer once; you come quietly with me to Central, and your accomplices go free."

Footsteps came up behind Eden. "That won't be necessary," Hughes claimed, putting a hand in Eden's shoulder. "This terrorist is currently under my custody," he lied. "She's safe right here."

Olivier laughed, her voice echoing throughout the relatively deserted fields. "Whether or not she's safe is of little concern to me. And I am well aware of your desertion, Lieutenant Colonel; you're lucky I'm only interested in Fullmetal, or you'd be tried for treason as well."

Hughes flinched. "Desertion…?" he wondered.

"Eden…" Rose approached the older girl, reaching out to her, but Eden pushed her hand away, and urged Hughes to go back as well. She offered a smile.

"I'll be fine," she assured the group. "I'll be back before you know it."

However, they weren't so naïve as to think that there would be a way out of this. Execution that would go through as soon as possible, twenty-four hour watch, and chains that would prevent her from transmuting. Still, they all put on brave faces.

"In my hands the strength," Ling began.

"In my heart the courage," Rose continued.

"In my soul the drive," Eden finished.

Wes was giving her one of his steely gazes, the kind that she could get lost in for hours. "...When you get back, I'll have that new arm ready for you; maybe this one will last more than one trip," he told her. She smiled as she stepped outside.

"Looking forward to it," she returned, walking up to Olivier, who pit her hands into manacles.

"You made the right choice."

xXx

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xXx

"Did you give the message?" Pride questioned. Lust smirked.

"Did more than that, old timer," the Homunculus claimed. "Even got to rough up Fullmetal a bit. Really can't wait till we catch the wench."

"Do you refer to all women like that?" Greed demanded, clearly annoyed.

"Why, do you have your eyes on one?"

"Do you think I have the time or the patience for women?" he returned. "When I-"

"When you gain all the power in the world, you'll have time for trivial things; blah blah blah!" Lust exclaimed. "Jeez, you're like a broken record here, chief!" Lust began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Greed questioned.

"Out. I still need to warm up," Lust claimed, though both of them knew that Homunculus never got cold or hot. Still, Lust left to the afternoon air.

"Something's wrong with the bastard, don't you think?" he wondered to the room, only to realize that Pride had left and he was left with Wrath, who didn't reply, just played with her doll. "You said it…"

Lust, as he walked, tried to find some way to distract himself. Not from his work or the other Homunculi, but from that image in his head. It was fuzzy now, but every time that that girl was mentioned; Rose…

Lust saw a blurred image of that slum girl, her eyes stricken with horror and looking about to vomit, with blood running down her legs.

"Excuse me, young man," someone said from behind him. Lust turned around to see a middle-aged man with a square jaw and golden hair. "You look a bit troubled."

Lust blinked in surprise, that a random passerby would be concerned; it was an aspect of the human animal that Lust was confused and almost frustrated by because it lacked pragmatism for whoever is extending the friendly hand.

Still, in this particular moment, Lust probably needed it. "Y-yeah," he knew that he had to keep his identity and role a secret, or else he'd have to kill the man. He began walking alongside the man. "My name is, uh…Arthur."

"I see. And you may call me Theo," the man offered a friendly smile. "So, young man, what's troubling you?"

Lust had to consider his words carefully. "Just a…a bad dream."

"Ah," Theo nodded. "I can see that very easily. And this dream, it wouldn't happen to be about a girl?"

"How'd you-"

Theo laughed. "I just assumed," he admitted. "The lady-killer that you are!"

"W-well, you're not that far off."

"In the dream, tell me, what is happening with this girl. Is she…"

"She's…in pain. I don't even really know her, just…a-anyway, I should get going. Thanks for-"

"No, please," Theo insisted. "You can't stop halfway through the tale, young man."

Lust hesitated, but eventually gave in. It wasn't like him to do so either, but there was something…pulling him back. "She's bleeding and she looks sick. I'm looking up at her, like I'm laying down in front of her and…" Lust stopped and chuckled. "Why the hell am I even talking about this? It's just a useless dream anyway, right?"

Theo nodded understandingly. "Well, I have to say that this sounds like a memory, young man. It's one that's been locked away, and triggered to resurface by something. From how it sounds, this might be the day you were created. "

Lust chuckled again, this time a bit more dryly. "Created. Oh man, you aren't one of those religious nut jobs, are you?" Lust wondered. "Listen, old timer, I'd love to stop by for mass, but I've got more important thing to do than-"

"Don't patronize me, Lust," Theo interrupted. "I'm not so devoid of my surroundings as to not recognize a Homunculus."

Lust stopped. "What the hell did you just call me?"

Theo ignored the question. "This vision; this wasn't the first time you've had it, was it? The first time was nothing more than a brief flash when you entered the burned room in the church in Lior."

"Shut up," Lust warned as he stepped back, only to have white lightning, Alchemical lightning, create a wall behind him, prevent his escape.

"It came back the night that Fullmetal infiltrated Central Library, didn't it? When you saw that woman for the first time, and she called you by your name," Theo kept on. Lust held his hand to his head, feeling a massive headache forming as the vision not only returned, but amplified itself until it consumed his entire being. "And now it's back, because of that woman's mention in Briggs and now it won't go away. Tell me I'm wrong!"

"Shut up!" Lust snapped his fingers, causing ten soldiers to rise from the ground. However, Theo simply looked at them, and the white lightning forced them into the ground again. "What are you?" Lust demanded.

"That _is_ the question, isn't it?" Theo smiled, still giving off his friendly air, but this time it just pay bed Lust out more. "Do you want to know something, little human?" Theo glided over to Lust and got up close, opening his mouth to speak.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hey guys, sorry this took so long to get out to you. I've been having some real trouble just getting started writing, but I was coming home from vacation, it was 1 in the morning and I had two hours until we would get home, so I sucked it up and started this damn chapter. After that, last night, I wrote out the entire last two thirds of it while my internet was down, so that was fun.**

 **Anyway, thank you all so much for reading, I really do hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next chapter!**


	19. 16 Your Heart I Watch

The group back in Resembool went about their day in a dazed stupor, going around from one meandering task to another as if in a trance.

Wes spent his time working on the arm that he promised Eden, slaving away for a piece of tech that might never be used. "How do you stand it?" he heard from the door.

Wes looked to the door. "...You're the last person I'd expect to hear that from, Hughes," the young man returned. Hughes didn't look to be in the mood.

"You just saw your last family be dragged to her death…"

Wes frowned and turned back to his workbench, finding it's familiarity comforting. "...I try to keep myself busy."

"Wes...she's going to die…" no response. "Wes, Eden is going to die!" Hughes repeated.

"I know, Hughes!" Wes snapped. "And I know there isn't a goddamn thing I can do about it!"

"And you're just going to sit here?"

"I just…have to believe that she'll come home, alive. She always has, and I've always believed in her, so that's what I'm going to do now," Wes claimed, defeated as he returned to his work. "What else _can_ I do…?"

"You can help us save her," another voice came from the door. This time, Ling and Rose were standing in it, looking determined to go through with this foolish act.

"It's suicide," he told them.

"As if everything we've ever done isn't?" Rose retorted.

Wes gave them a look of warning. "Even if I agreed to this, what the hell would I do?"

"Easy; you'd be the one to get her out. We'll distract everyone, and you sneak in and get Eden," Wes sighed and looked at the prototype arm. "And even if you refuse, you need to leave Resembool; it isn't safe anymore and you know it."

"Alright, alright, I get it," he conceded. "Where should I go?"

"Well...don't you know someplace?" Ling questioned. "Lior, Rush Valley, and Resembool are compromised. Where else is there?"

"Well...I could see if Mrs. Curtis can spare a room or two…" Wes turned away.

While Hughes and Ling left the room, Rose walked up to Wes and put her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, listen," she pleaded. "I know that it all feels hopeless right now...but you said it yourself; Eden has always come home to you, right?"

"Right...thanks, Rose."

The other two went outside. "...This may very well be the last sunset we see," Hughes commented.

"Pretty grim outlook, old man," Ling returned. "We'll make it back."

"You're only saying that because you stand a chance against those monsters."

Ling chuckled. "Hey, you have your advantages, I have mine. No one said you have to fight them."

"Then what do you propose I do to help, then?"

Ling shrugged. "Well, what'd you do in the military? You were a, uh, investigations officer, a researcher, right?"

"Sure."

"Well...then why don't you research for us?"

xXx

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xXx

Before the bag was even taken from Eden's head, it was slammed into the top of the table they'd placed her at; she knew because her wrists were forced into locked cuffs on it. "Gah! Mother _fucker_!" she yelled, reeling from the impact as the bag was removed. "If you're gonna be doing that, at least give me a warning so I don't die of shock!" she demanded of the old man sitting across from her. "But I guess that'd be what you want, isn't it, Fuhrer King Bradley, or should I call you by your true name; Pride."

"I see the would-be King informed you of my existence as a Homunculus," the man's voice was fatherly, almost eerily nice sounding by nature, but it was laced with such poison that Eden couldn't tell whether he was trying to admit to a false assumption of her ignorance or warning her that the name had enough weight to crush her.

"...I'm surprised you even came to see me, I'd have thought I'd be sent right to the firing squad," Eden said cautiously.

"I wished to speak to you; it takes a unique form of madness to attempt a one-man crusade against the entirety of the Amestrian Military."

Eden smirked. "I didn't know I had a fan club…"

Without warning, the Homunculus smashed a fist down onto Eden's left hand and grabbed her by the hair. "Listen here!" he snapped. "You are nothing more than an annoyance to us! If you provoke me further, I will have you gutted _right now_! You are here to be tortured and beaten until you can no longer speak, and then you'll be publicly executed to show that _no one_ can make a fool of Amestris!" Eden ignored the warning, flipping over and attempting to get the Fuhrer in a headlock, but he saw it coming from a mile away, grabbing her legs and throwing them off, yanking on her still-restrained arms forcefully. Eden could only watch as the Fuhrer drew one of his blades. "Now, let's begin…"

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Once the rescue party was safely in the city, and 'safely' in this case is used loosely, they made their way into the sewers of Central. Hughes, thankfully, knew where he was going, having done investigations into a criminal who used these sewers about a year back. He stopped at one of the manholes. "Alright, kids, this is my stop. You go ahead and make a right and then go on and make a left, it'll be the third manhole," he explained to Ling and Rose.

"If you need help, we have communications," Rose tapped her ear.

"Right," Ling agreed. "Come on, we need to make it there as soon as possible," the two ran off. Hughes lifted himself out of the sewers and wiped off any residue, before turning to the large building that was currently under maintenance; Central Library.

Meanwhile, Rose and Ling arrived at their destination within minutes. Ling turned to his partner. "When we get up there, I need you to shoot us up on top of the prison," he reminded.

"I'm ready," she returned as Ling climbed up, with Rose not far behind. They popped up right in front of the prison, which was attached like a strange siamese twin onto Central Command, along with Central Hospital, in a square, with Central Command being at, where else, the center. With two suspicious people climbing out of a sewers, they quickly attracted the attention of the guards.

"Stay where you are and put your hands up!" they ordered, though neither of them responded. Ling quickly threw down a smoke bomb as Rose clapped her hands. Though she didn't have as much experience with it as Eden did, a pillar is base Alchemy, so it wasn't that hard. Still, both of them hit the roof hard, and running, quickly get shot at. Rose shot small knives into one of the chimneys and used her Alkahestry/Alchemy combination to remotely cause smoke to spew out, allowing them cover as they slipped into the building.

The two ran like hell, turning corners left and right and slamming doors closed to avoid soldiers. When they came to an intersection, Ling sprinted left, while Rose stopped. "What's wrong?" Ling demanded, running back to her and tugging, though she didn't move. "Come on!"

"I-I'm sorry," Rose wrestled free and ran the other way, toward Central Command. "Go and get Eden; take her somewhere safe!" she called back.

"But what about you?!" Ling demanded, though she was already gone. Out of time and with two options, Ling decided to finish the mission; he ran toward maximum security.

xXx

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xXx

Hughes tried to keep his cool as he passed fellow soldiers, with most tipping their hats at him, still thinking he was their senior officer. It seemed to Hughes that only the higher-ranked members of the Amestrian military were aware of his desertion. Hughes inwardly laughed. " _Without me, they_ would _be as unorganized at Creta,_ " he thought to himself as he went to the section he was looking for.

Most would go to Alchemical sections, looking for information about Homunculi, as Eden had when she raided the library, but Hughes had eyes for only one Homunculus, Wrath, and he was determined to find out who she is, or was.

He went to the census area, where everyone in Central was photographed for citizenship in the city. Even trusted military officers, if it was their first time in Central, were forced to be registered, as a form of protection against terrorists like Eden.

How did Hughes know that she lived in Central? While he wasn't sure, he felt that she was familiar, at least vaguely; he'd seen her and might have even interacted with her.

Finally, he found Wrath's picture; she was just a small girl in the photo, just as she was as a Homunculus. Hughes' eyes widened as he read her name. "Oh my god…" he muttered to himself, quickly standing and running towards the section dedicated to the documentation of former and current State Alchemists.

Once there, he rummaged through a variety of files. "Who's there?" a voice came from behind him, with a gun coked and aimed at the back of his head. He raised his hands slowly and turned around, only to relax.

"Colonel Mustang," he greeted.

Hawkeye never batted an eye. "I was wondering when you'd show next," she said as she holstered her weapon. "But I didn't expect to find you searching through the files of State Alchemists."

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in East City?" Hughes wondered.

Hawkeye shook her head. "Something happened on my assignment in Youswell," she explained vaguely. "And now I'm stationed here, demoted for the time being, until the Fuhrer deems me to be fit for command again."

The two were interrupted by an explosion, and it seemed to come from the prison. "Good, that means Ling got to Eden," Hughes said as she sighed with relief. He held his hand out. "I need a weapon."

"You don't have a weapon?" Hawkeye questioned.

"Out of bullets, if you'll recall, and there wasn't exactly any lying around Eden's house."

Reluctantly, Hawkeye relinquished a weapon. "Right. I can't escape with you, but I can assist; we'll have to make it look like you attacked and-" she was interrupted as the but of the gun was bashed into the back of her head, knocking the woman out cold.

"Have to make it look convincing," Hughes said to her. "But I have no intention of escaping."

xXx

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xXx

"You can't be serious," Greed said frustratedly at his fellow Homunculus. "Lust, think about what you're doing for just a minute, would you?"

"I _have_ thought about it, you idiot!" Lust snapped, his hair disheveled and his eyes wide with rage. "And I'm going to do it!"

"You should never have spoken to that old man! Where the hell is he anyway?"

"He's here. He's going to watch the whole thing unfold."

"Listen to what you're saying; get a grip! You'd be going directly against Pride if you do this!" Greed yelled.

"I don't need him!" Lust yelled, flailing around wildly as he stumbled to the door. "I'm going to kill Eden Elric, and then I'm going to kill that pathetic slum whore!" he vowed as he ran out of the room, summoning three soldiers with each step.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Greed called after him, but he either ignored him or couldn't hear him. "...What now, Greed?" he asked himself, crossing his arms. "I guess…" he shrugged. "I'll watch it unfold too; not much else to do, is there?"

xXx

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xXx

All Eden heard was the slow drip of blood from her elbow; her shoulder had been slashed open, as well as most likely quite a few cracked or broken bones; definitely enough damage in the ribs to make it hard to breathe. Her face was on the table, drool hanging from her mouth, waiting for the pain to just stop.

It wasn't so much a constant pain as it was an ever-heightening pulsation emanating from her body. The Fuhrer grabbed Eden by the hair again, lifting her face up to his. "I want to hear you say it," he ordered. "Admit that you've lost," Eden said something inaudible. "A bit louder, Fullmetal, you always seemed to eager to-"

Eden spit blood onto the Homunculus' face. In response, the King slammed her face down onto the table, no doubt breaking her nose. "Come on, then," Eden choked out. "You're gonna have to work for it," she turned her head to look at him, her eyes burning bright, even in these times of peril.

However, the Fuhrer never got the chance to continue, as there was loud commotion outside the door. When the Fuhrer was distracted by it, a massive steel pillar shoved him to the side, and another slammed down onto him from above, plunging him through several floors.

The door burst open, and a blur shot into the room and cut through her bonds. "You…" Eden's eyes widened.

Another figure walked into the room. "You are really are a worthless student if you'd let yourself get caught this easily," Izumi's rough hello lifted Eden's spirits.

However, her eyes were fixed on her other rescuer. "Sloth," she acknowledged.

He scratched his chin, embarrassed. "You, uh...you've looked better," he noted, reaching into a pack and pulling out bandages, which he applied so fast that Eden wasn't able to keep up. They were tight enough to stop the bleeding, which was enough for Eden to be able to stand. Still, the first step she took sent her tumbling down to the ground, from which Sloth helped her stand again.

"I thought...neither of you wanted to fight," Eden claimed.

"I don't," Izumi returned. "But your life is a bit more important than my wants...but only just a little," she made a small space between her thumb and index finger. "Anyway, let's just get out of here, before reinforcements show up."

However, she spoke too soon. As soon as the trio entered the hallway, they were met with a General. "Armstrong…" Eden glared at the woman, who was shooting an equally intense stare at her three opponents.

"I see you've found a way to worm yourself out of another life-or-death situation, Fullmetal," the woman faux-complimented. "However, I'm afraid that letting you just walk wouldn't be very pragmatic, especially given how far south I went to get you."

"We should go," Sloth claimed.

"Then leave," Izumi ordered. "I'll cover your escape."

"But...she's a-"

"I know."

The two exchanged a glance, before Sloth took hold of Eden. "Wait, we're not going to leave her here," Eden argued. "She-"

"She's made up her mind," Sloth stated. "Let's go."

"Sloth, you're the Homunculus; you should fight her."

"What I'm going to do is run for the hills, with you in tow," The Homunculus responded. Sloth grabbed Eden and left Izumi to fight.  
xXx

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xXx

As Ling ran, he heard this incredibly loud crash from above him, only to have someone fall through the ceiling. Ling blinked at the hole they made. "Well, how about that?" He said to himself. When the person stood, however, that was when the Xingese Prince's blood began to boil. "You again…"

"My day begins with words of a great accomplishment," the Fuhrer began as he rose. "And it devolves to meeting a would-be Xingese Prince once again."

"Devolves?!" Ling snapped. "Damn it, you don't have the _right_ to say that to me."

"Don't I?" the Homunculus mocked as they both charged forward. The two clashed blades once again, but Pride was well on the home field, able to shove Ling both into the wall and then through the window of the building. Thankfully, it wasn't from one of the top floors, but it still knock the wind right out of the Xingese Prince, with his opponent not giving him any room to breathe.

The Homunculus dove down and stabbed downward, attempting to impale Ling, though he was able to roll out of the way and then parry the Fuhrer's next strike, allowing him to stand.

"Do you remember what happened last time, boy?" Pride mocked the human. "The only way your pathetic race has any chance of matching us is with your Alchemy, and even then, only the best could manage to break even!" the Fuhrer dashed forward, forcing Ling back.

"Yeah, I remember, but this time will be different!" Ling assured as he, seemingly out of nowhere, leapt back and threw a bomb towards the Fuhrer. Pride was about to slash it away, but Ling was faster, throwing a kunai directly at the bomb, making it explode right in the Fuhrer's face. Being a Homunculus, the blast merely forced him to his knees, but that was enough for Ling. "Yeah, it'll be different; this time, you'll be the one dying on the ground when it's over," the Prince vowed as Pride stood, angrier than ever, with his Ultima Eye twitching with anticipation.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Sloth and Eden raced through the halls of Central Command, zipping past soldiers left and right, leaving behind only a golden blur from Eden's hair and the streaks of red lightning from Sloth's power.

However, unexpectedly, they were stopped dead. Not from a wall or anything, but something literally saw Sloth coming and clotheslined him, sending him reeling into the ground and Eden flying forward a meter or two, causing her to groan and scream from the pain in gave her.

Sloth jumped up to his feet, only the pink glow from their bayonet before he was stabbed through the abdomen with three of them. "Sloth!" Eden cried. The soldiers that stopped them had the signature glow of Lust's creations, along with the dead eyes of them. The Homunculus whirled around, fast, creating a small tornado, at least freeing himself, where he proceeded to punch away his attackers, before rushing back to Eden. "Y-you…" she gestured to the blades protruding through his abdomen.

"Oh, right," he pulled them out with little more than a grunt or two before they healed up with a flash of red light. As Sloth went to pick Eden back up, the two were surrounded by more of Lusts minions several hundred down either side of the hallway, extending and condensing further in, blocking escape, even with Sloth's amount of energy being outputted while running. "Lust is trying to capture you again," Sloth claimed.

"I'd never guessed," she said sarcastically, clapping her hands and slamming her hands to the floor, creating two incredibly thick walls separating the soldiers from the two. "Punch through that wall," she ordered, gesturing to the one in front of her.

"Are you kidding?" Sloth looked at her as if she were crazy.

"Right, so if you punch me, you hit like a cannonball, but against a wall, you're useless?" she accused. Sloth was taken aback.

"I could easily leave you here," he reminded, only to be interrupted by a fist from one of Lust's minions breaking through Eden's barrier. "Wall it is," he conceded, picking up Eden bridal style, getting as much of a running start as he could, and then smashing arm first through one wall, and then another, and then another, almost feeling as if he weren't running into anything, until he smashed them both right through a window while they were still running really fast, sending both of them into a freefall down to the ground. Thankfully, Sloth caught Eden and took the brunt of the fall for her, but the landing was still rough.

Not only that, but it seemed that they landed in the worst possible place, as tens of thousands of Lusts undead soldiers surrounded them, aiming their obsolete spikes, bayonets and blades at the ground. Eden looked up to the peak of Central Command, where Lust himself was standing, spawning wave after endless wave of minion to do his bidding, sweating from exertion, and grinning as well. "Found you…" he muttered to himself, leaping to the roof on the edge, directly above the two.

Sloth and Eden stood, both weary from the impact, as the literal army began to close the gap. "What now?" Sloth questioned.

"I…" Eden wracked her brain as she transmuted her Automail into a blade. "I...don't know. I have no idea what to do…" the realization dawned on her. "Damn it! What the hell hope did I ever have to beating something like this?!"

"Come on, now's _really_ a bad time for this!" Sloth snapped.

The army drew closer, and then a few of them charged forward, but they never made it.

"Wait!" a voice called out, making the horde stop. "Stop this, Kain!" Rose called, standing off on one side of the roof.

Lust's eyed widened, and he was seemingly frozen in place. As was his army. "Rose! Don't go near him!" Eden yelled up to her, but it was as if she didn't hear, because she inched closer and closer to the distraught Homunculus.

"Y-You...you're...Rose…" Lust muttered, holding his head.

"Yes," she said soothingly. "It's me, Rose, your...I'm your fiance," she explained as she came within a few meters of him. "You don't have to be afraid."

"Rose!" Eden called once again, about to running forward, though Sloth stopped her.

"We're going to build a life together, we'll have wonderful children, and live until we can't live anymore, remember?" she gave him a smile that would warm all of Amestris' hearts. "I love you, Kain."

"I…" she reached up to touch his cheek as tears streamed from them. "I...remember…"

With one swift motion, Lust plunged his hand straight through Rose's heart.

 **Author's Note:**

 **So sorry for the huge wait time. With the start of my senior year, marching season, and me having to focus on my other works, everything has been really hectic, not to mention I wasn't really feeling motivated to write for this story for quite some time.**

 **Anyway, go ahead and leave a favorite if you enjoyed the first of the two-parter, and if not, or maybe even if so, leave a review explaining your thoughts on the chapter. Every single one is much appreciated!**

 **P.S. sorry for all of the jumps between characters; there are a lot of have to keep track of and each interaction tha tI show is important; promise!**


	20. 17 Forze dell'Oscurita

Greed shook his head upon observing the events of that day. "Pitiful…" he said of Lust's actions. "Have you gone completely insane?"

"He may very well have," an aged voice materialized behind the Homunculus. A middle-aged man walked up to the window next to him, watching the show closely. "Memories are quite fickle to you Homunculi. Oftentimes, it ends like that one; deranged, unpredictable, and driven mad by the dissonance the mind goes through."

"And are you an expert on us?" Greed accused. The man only gave a smirk. "Don't play stupid, old man. I know that you spoke to Lust; he told me that you showed him things."

"And if I did? There is nothing wrong with giving him what he wants."

"Tch, as if this is what he wanted; all he wanted was the screw as many women as he could. He'd have been satisfied," Greed claimed. "He's the embodiment of lust for God's sake!"

The man chuckled. "God...that's funny…" he said vaguely.

Greed wasn't sure how to respond to that. "Whatever, it's not like Pride gave me anything to do. All I'll do is watch; I couldn't care less about Envy, Pride, or Fullmetal anyway."

"No, it's only that Mustang that you seem interested in."

Greed turned away. "Because I need her."

"As I said; memories are quite fickle with you," the old man had won.

"...Do what you want," Greed conceded, as if he were giving the man permission to watch. "But if you get my way, I'm going to throw everything I've got at you," Greed warned as he walked away.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

With one swift motion, Lust plunged his hand through Rose's heart. It didn't make a sound; silence was all that was heard, at least to Eden. Everything stopped. She immediately felt a weight on her chest, preventing her from screaming.

Rose's eyes widened slightly, but otherwise she showed no reaction as the blood stopped flowing to her body. She crumpled into Lust's, whose face held half apathy and half horror. He let her fall as he drew his hand out of her body, down to his feet. It was only after the lifeless corpse fell that Eden was able to respond. "Rose!" she cried, tears streaming form her eyes. Her voice echoed throughout Central City.

Lust felt something that was unfamiliar to him, as he looked down at Rose's still chest. It...hurt…

Lust dropped to his knees, looked upon the woman who, in life, he'd gladly spend the rest of his life with, and screamed. He screamed at his inability to feel anything for her death.

As he scream, all of his minions screamed, created a mighty roar through Central Command. Then, they began to fade back into the ground. Lust cradled Rose in his arms, trying to hold onto her until the end of time, but then he began to fade as well, back into the dust that had been used to make him.

"What's…?" Sloth was dumbfounded. "Lust...he's dying…"

The Homunculi's screams were heard echoing long after he had faded completely, until they were replaced, as a small droplet of a red substance fell onto Rose's corpse.

"That's a Philosopher's Stone," Sloth claimed, though Eden wasn't even listening.

Fullmetal's bones became heavy, and she fell onto her hands and knees. "Damn it...damn it...damn it!" Eden repeated over and over, pounding the ground. Sloth kneeled down beside her, offering what little he could.

"I...I'm sorry…" he said, not exactly empathically, but more understandingly.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

xXx

Ling turned a corner and hid along his, his breathing strained from blood loss. Not only was he at his limit of endurance, but he was running out of tricks. "How much longer can you go, I wonder?" Pride's voice was right next to his. Ling reacted, throwing all of his weight into a strike at the Homunculus, who was leaning on the wall. The Fuhrer parried the strike and threw Ling back, into the wall, stabbing into his left arm, the blade going through and into the wall. The Xingese Prince let off a cry, though he bit it back soon after as the Fuhrer leaned close. "I'm sorry, but weren't you going to make me be the one 'dying on the ground'?" he mocked the younger boy.

Ling bashed the butt of his own sword into the Fuhrer's face, which only served to anger the Homunculus. He attempted a straight stab, but Ling managed to kick the strike up, making it barely miss him, and then wrap his legs around the Fuhrer's arm, forcing him to the wall.

Ling let go as soon as The Fuhrer shifted, and the result was Pride slicing clean through the part of the blade that protrude from Ling to the wall, letting him rip what was left of it out and block the Fuhrer's next strike.

Ling ducked and rolled out of the way of two more strikes and threw up his last new trick, a stick. The Fuhrer slashed through it, as Ling predicted he would, and it let off a blinding flash of light. Ling ran then, hoping to at least escape with his life. With any luck, Eden will have escaped by now, making his mission a success. However, the flash bomb didn't have as much of an effect as Ling had hoped.

"You really thought a light show would stop me?" Ling heard directly behind him, and, before he could react, he was shoved out of the nearby window, straight into the Center Courtyard.

xXx

xxxXXXxxx

Eden heard the sound of a window breaking before Ling crashed in front of them, with the Fuhrer not far behind. Ling attempted to raise a blade to fight back, but the Fuhrer knocked it out of his hands and kicked him away. Not too long after, Izumi was thrown out of a window in a similar fashion, but she knocked completely out cold by Armstrong. Against any other opponent, Eden would've been surprised, but against someone like that...maybe if she could transmute instantaneously like Eden could, then she could hold her own.

However, Ling wasn't going to go down without a fight, standing and raising what was left of one of the Fuhrer's blades. Pride laughed at the effort. "Come now; why throw your life away like this? Isn't it _sacred_ to you humans?" he he put venom in the word.

Greatly angered, if not badly beaten, Ling charged forward, but never made it to his opponent, instead being attacked from behind. All Eden saw was a blur of white in the shape of a man, but whatever it was, it appeared behind Ling and knocked him unconscious. "I think that's enough," she heard as the form of a man materialized. He looked to be nearing his forties, with a square jaw and a golden beard, golden eyes, and golden hair. Pride immediately relaxed, seemingly familiar with this outsider.

However, to Eden, he looked familiar. "You're...you look like…?" she tried to place a name, wracking her brain.

"Oh?" the man noticed Fullmetal. "I see the little Alchemist has an idea," he seemed almost excited.

"You...look like Hohenheim of Light," Eden guessed. The man stood up straight, having to think for a moment.

"Well, you're just a bit sharper than you look," the man said casually.

"Did you...just call me stupid?!" Eden snapped, standing to fight him, though Sloth held her back.

"Allow me to introduce myself; my name is...well, I have many, but you may call me Theo," he said, looking at Sloth. "And you, my child, aiding the one you were supposed to destroy."

"Sorry, pops; never seen you before in my life. I ain't your kid," he retorted.

The man chuckled. "So narrow minded…" the man sighed before disappearing in a blur and then reappearing in front of Rose's corpse, on the top of the building. He picked up the red stone, and then kicked off the body.

"Rose!" Eden cried as her body dropped, landing with a thud.

Theo ignored her protest. "It's about time I regained one of my antiques," he said, taking it in his hand and seemingly embedding it into his palm. The stone glowed, and, in a flash, soldiers rose from the ground. They were lifeless zombies like Lust's but instead of a pink color, they glowed a bright white.

"He has Lust's power!" Sloth exclaimed as they both stood, now being the only two standing against these unforeseen odds.

"No, it's the stone that fell from his body," Eden reasoned. "Either way, it feels like it doesn't even matter if we kill you damn Homunculi if any old schmuck could use your power!"

"You truly don't _get_ it, do you?!" Theo yelled from the top of the building. "Must I spell it out for you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Eden questioned back. "Are you like a god?"

"He definitely feels like one…" Sloth muttered.

"Perhaps I am to you, but I more so think of myself as something a bit more specific than any god could be," Theo recited. "Though if you practice Alchemy religiously, which I know you do, then you could consider me Alchemy's deity and you may call me-"

"Truth," Eden finished. "You're that white god that I saw when I tried to transmute Alphonse back to life! But why do you look like Hohenheim of Light? Was he your Messiah or something? And why are you here? In the real world?

"What are you talking about?" Sloth questioned, completely lost.

"Truth; a being that dwells deep within Alchemy's laws, so deep that only the most bold of practitioners know about; Alchemists that perform human transmutation are confronted for their sins, and have something taken, by Truth," Eden said. "But that doesn't explain why it's here."

"Perhaps I should shed some light on the subject," Theo said. "You possess a rare gift; one which the world has never seen before, and I'll be sure to never let happen again. You'll find out in due time, but for now, know this; you are the pawn in my game. Each of these obstacles, these armies, these Homunculi, are all tests for you to progress. With each one, your skill and willpower will be pushed to their absolute limits and beyond, until you either succumb, or you go all the way."

"And what happens then?" Sloth questioned.

"Well...that'll be for Eden to decide," Theo grew a sick grin. "And here, a new test begins, along with a thousand more!" the stone glowed once again, and the undead army started to close in.

"What if...what if all of this...all of these sacrifices...what if they've all been for nothing…?" Eden lamented, blocking and forcing back an undead's downward strike. "What the _hell_ am I supposed to do against something with an unlimited supply of unrestricted Alchemy, and now that he has a Philosopher's Stone…"

"You are a fool!" a yell was heard from the opposite end of the courtyard. "To think that the embodiment of Greed would settle as being a piece in some self-righteous deity's game!"

Without warning, a wave of water crashed through the courtyard, sweeping away the seemingly endless armies of minions that Theo had summoned, however, the waves circled around the other Homunculi, along with Eden and Sloth.

"Greed!" Pride called, clearly furious. "You'd betray us too?!"

"I betray all but my own desires!" Greed argued. "Including you," he turned to Eden and Sloth as his torrent lowered to that of puddles. "And you; when next we meet, I will end you both. Now get out of here!"

Sloth gave Greed a look of silent gratitude before picking Eden up and running, far past Central Command.

On the way out, they ran into Hughes. The man looked surprised when they appeared. "Oh...Eden, you're safe," he acknowledged, though drew back immediately upon seeing her somber expression.

"How'd you get out?"

"Me? I left before everything got crazy; picked up everything I could find on State Alchemists and their families," he held up a pile of books. "Here's all the records."

"How will that help?"

"Trust me, kid, I was _trained_ for this type of thing," he assured. "So...what exactly happened?"

Eden and Sloth exchanged a glance. "...I'll...explain when we reach out destination."

"Alright," Hughes accepted the answer. "...You mind giving me a lift?"

"Sure," the Homunculus grabbed them both and sped off down south, towards the City of Dublith.

 **Author's Note:**

 **Another one fresh off the press; started this on at around 4 this afternoon, and am uploading it at around 10:30 that night, so excuse any grammatical or spelling errors.**

 **Anyway, just wanted to get this one out because, honestly, it's one I've been dreading writing because it's just one big exposition dump where the evil mastermind explains his plan and blah, blah, blah...**

 **I don't know, just give it until it ends, and then judge me for my decisions on the story, because I _know_ some of you are being all like 'Truth would never do something like this because it doesn't have human sins or emotions' or some bull like that, and them I say that the whole damn point of this thing is to show how absolute power corrupts absolutely, even a god-like entity like Truth!**

 ***sigh* anyway, that's all I've got; sorry that this one is shorted than the last chapter, but this was the best place to stop, obviously.**

 **Why don't you leave me a favorite or review? Either way, it'll help me see what you guys think about this series!**


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